Guo Zhen in the Ancient Sword Chapter
Don’t you see Kunwu’s iron smelting flying into flames and smoke, the red light and purple aura are impressive.
After several years of hard work, he forged a sword named Longquan.
The color of Longquan is like frost and snow, and the good workers sigh in wonder.
The glazed jade box sprouts lotus flowers, and the engraved gold rings reflect the bright moon.
It is a time when there is no trouble in the world, so I am lucky enough to be able to protect myself from a gentleman.
The light is dark green snake color, and the articles are green turtle scales.
Not only have I been friends with knights, but I have also been close to heroes.
He Yan was abandoned on the middle road and drifted to the edge of the ancient prison.
Although buried in dust and useless, it can still soar to the sky every night.
This is a poem about things and aspirations. According to legend, it was written by Guo Zhen when he was summoned by Wu Zetian. "Then he could see the sky so well that he wrote dozens of volumes and gave them to scholars like Li Qiao, Yan Chaoyin, etc." (Zhang said "Guo Gongxingzhuang"). Since then, this poem has been widely spread throughout the world.
"Ancient sword" refers to the famous Longquan sword in ancient times. It is said that it was made by Ganjiang of Wu State and Ou Yezi of Yue State. They smelted the concentrate produced in Kunwu for many years and was highly praised by people at the time. But later he was buried under the ruins of an ancient prison in Fengcheng. Until Zhang Hua, the prime minister of the Jin Dynasty, observed the sky at night and discovered that there was purple air rising into the sky between the Dou and Niu constellations. Later, Lei Huan judged it to be a "sword" The essence is as deep as the sky." Only then was it rediscovered. This poem uses the above-mentioned legend to express one's own ideals and ambitions by singing about Longquan Sword, and to express feelings of adversity.
The poet used the sword made in ancient times to compare the talents that disappeared at that time, which is appropriate and easy to understand. From the perspective of supporting objects and expressing ambitions, the beginning of the poem uses the story of sword-making by generals to describe one's excellent quality and extraordinary cultivation; secondly, one praises the shape and character of the sword to show one's talents and magnificence; once again, he praises the sword's role in the peace era. Even though it was useless, it was also used by gentlemen to help heroes perform chivalry to show that they were upright and chivalrous. In the end, the sword was used to tell the story of his fall, with confidence that it would not be buried in the end and that the injustice would be revealed. Obviously, the author's self-confidence shows that talents have been created, existed, and played a role, but unfortunately they have been buried. We must face this reality, cherish, identify, discover talents, and dig out the buried talents. This is its theme and its social significance. It is not difficult to understand that in a feudal society, in the face of the supreme emperor, he dared to write such a poem with clear meaning, sharp thoughts and serious attitude. His insight, courage and heroism are commendable and respectable. For the scholars who are suppressed by the lower class, they will be deeply moved. This is the meaning and impact of this poem, and hence its success.
Zhang Shuo commented that Guo Zhen's "articles are elegant and valued by the world." The so-called "elegance" refers to the uninhibited momentum and bold style of his works. The artistic characteristics of "The Ancient Sword", just like this comment, are outstanding in its momentum and style. Since this poem uses sword chanting to express opinions and express grievances, it seeks to be clear and unrestrained, without seeking technique or restraint. What the poet pays attention to is that the metaphor is appropriate, the meaning is clear, and the theme is clear. Although the poem uses legends, it is also imaginative, exaggerated and romantic. For example, praising the smelting of the sword, praising the character of the sword, describing the burial of the sword, etc. are all imaginary and exaggerated. However, wherever the brushstrokes come from, comments can be seen, the image is clear, the thoughts are sharp, the emotions are unrestrained, and the momentum is abundant. People can often be seen in the sword, achieving the artistic effect of seeing people and skimming the sword. In fact, the artistic achievement of this poem is not mainly about formal skills, but about fully expressing the image of the poet, embodying it as a model and a spirit, so it can move people. "Art is dominated by spirit" and "style is people". This poem can be an example.