The relationship between Du Fu and Henan can be said to have a long history and a harmonious relationship. Du Fu, the poet saint who left more than 1,400 poems, was from Henan, and his birthplace was in Nanyaowan Village, Zhanjie Town, Gongyi City, Henan Province today.
Du Fu (February 12, 712-770), also known as Zimei, also known as Shaoling Yelao, was a great realist poet in the Tang Dynasty. Together with Li Bai, he was known as "Li Du". Born in Gong County, Henan, originally from Xiangyang, Hubei. In order to distinguish them from the other two poets Li Shangyin and Du Mu, known as "Little Li Du", Du Fu and Li Bai are also collectively known as "Big Li Du", and Du Fu is often called "Old Du".
When Du Fu was a boy, he traveled to Wuyue and Qi and Zhao successively, during which time he went to Luoyang to fail in the examination. After the age of thirty-five, he first took the examination in Chang'an and failed; later he presented gifts to the emperor and nobles. Unable to achieve his goals in officialdom, he witnessed the extravagance and social crisis of the upper class society in the Tang Dynasty. In the fourteenth year of Tianbao (755), the Anshi Rebellion broke out and Tongguan fell. Du Fu traveled to many places.
In the second year of Qianyuan, Du Fu abandoned his official position and went to Sichuan. Although he escaped the war and lived a relatively stable life, he still cared about the common people and national affairs. Du Fu created famous works such as "Ascend the High", "Spring Look", "Northern Expedition", "Three Officials" and "Three Farewells". Although Du Fu is a realist poet, he also has a wild and uninhibited side. It is not difficult to see Du Fu's heroic spirit from his famous work "Song of the Eight Immortals in Drinking".
The core of Du Fu's thoughts is the thought of benevolent government. He has the grand ambition of "bringing the emperors Yao and Shun to the throne, and then making the customs pure." Although Du Fu was not well-known during his lifetime, he later became famous and had a profound impact on both Chinese and Japanese literature. About 1,500 poems by Du Fu have been preserved, most of which are collected in "Du Gongbu Collection".
Du Fu's poetic achievements:
In Du Fu's middle age, because of his melancholy poetic style and concern for the country and the people, Du Fu's poems were called "the history of poetry". His poems are good at ancient style and rhythmic poetry, with various styles. The four words "depressed and frustrated" accurately summarize the style of his own works, and the main style is melancholy.
Du Fu lived during the historical period when the Tang Dynasty was transitioning from prosperity to decline. His poems mostly dealt with social unrest, political darkness, and people's suffering. His poems reflected the social contradictions and people's suffering at that time. His poems recorded The great historical changes in the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline express the lofty Confucian spirit of benevolence and strong sense of worry, so it is known as the "History of Poetry".
Du Fu is concerned about the country and the people, has a noble personality and exquisite poetic skills. Du Fu wrote more than 1,500 poems in his life, many of which are famous poems that have been passed down through the ages, such as "Three Officials" and "Three Farewells"; among them, the "Three Officials" are "Shihao Officials", "Xin'an Officials" and "Tongguan Officials" ”, the “three farewells” are “Newlywed Farewell”, “Homeless Farewell” and “Elderly Farewell”.
Du Fu’s poems that have been handed down are the largest and most extensive in Tang poetry. He was one of the most outstanding poets in the Tang Dynasty and had a profound influence on later generations. Du Fu's works are known as the devastation of the world, the sage in the poem; the suffering of the people, the waves in the writing. It is a representative work of realistic poetry.