Taoist poetry is a poetic work that reflects Taoist life, expresses the ideals of immortals, or expresses otherworldly emotions with the help of Taoist immortal intentions.
Taoist poetry originated very early: in the "Taiping Jing" of the Eastern Han Dynasty, some clues can be seen. "The Taiping Jing" also says: "The weather is pleasant below, and the earth's energy is pleasant. The two qi are connected and become the qi of neutrality. They receive each other and nourish all things without any harm. Therefore, it is called Taiping. The heaven and earth are harmonious and concentric, ** * Give birth to all things; men and women have one heart and give birth to children; three people, father and son, have one heart and become one family." The thirty-eighth volume of this book contains a ninety-three-word "Shi Ce Wen". , attention has been paid to the use of rhyme, and it seems to be the prototype of a seven-character poem. The Book of Changes Shen Tongqi, which is contemporary with the Taiping Jing, mostly uses four-character, five-character and Sao style fu genres. Although the style of "Shen Tongqi" is impure, the characteristic of using poetic form to discuss alchemy is also obvious. Since the Eastern Han Dynasty, Taoist organizations have gradually grown, and Taoist poetry has also increased and matured. During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, not only alchemy poems and incantation poems were secretly passed down among Taoist sects, but also immortal poems became popular in society.
Alchemy poems are poetic works with alchemy as the content: from a formal point of view, alchemy can be divided into outer elixir and inner elixir, so the content of alchemy poems can also be divided into inner elixir and outer elixir, or main inner elixir. Dan, it may be mainly external Dan, or it may be both internal and external. For example, a 504-word ballad contained in the "Taiqing Golden Liquid Divine Alchemy Sutra" uses symbolic literary techniques in the form of seven sentences and one sentence to hint at the principles and functions of alchemy. The use of imagery is rather obscure, but its metaphors and symbolism add to the vividness of the work.
While the alchemy poems were secretly transmitted, Taoists also paid attention to the creation of incantation poems. The mantra is a kind of blessing. According to legend, there were spells handed down from the time of the Yellow Emperor. When Taoism was born, incantations became a way for Taoist priests to summon gods, drive away ghosts, cure diseases and seek enlightenment. In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, spells became more developed. There are two types of incantations: prose and poetry, but most of them are in poetry. The more famous ones include "Zhenwen Mantra", "Three Emperors Mantra", "Dongyuan Divine Mantra", etc. The mantra poems not only pay attention to simulating natural sounds and rhythms, but also express obvious emotions of love and hate; at the same time, the mantra poems also pay attention to the application of allusions and the rendering of the atmosphere, and even depict certain scenes.
In addition to alchemy poems and incantation poems, poems about immortals in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties also had a great influence on society. Poetry about immortals is a kind of poem that sings about the wanderings of immortals. Its origins can be traced back to the Songs of Chu in the Warring States Period. For example, Qu Yuan's "Yuanyou" also depicts the wanderings of immortals, which is quite romantic. In the context of the prevalence of Taoism, poems about immortals came into being. Their genres are mostly five-character, with varying numbers of sentences. Liang Xiaotong's "Selected Works" first listed poems about immortals as one of the literary genres. Judging from the identity of the author, poems about immortals can be divided into poems about immortals by Taoists and poems about immortals by literati. Both the Taoist poems about immortality and the literati poems about immortality show the romantic color and fantastic imagination of "soaring up and traveling to the eight extremes". The difference is that Taoist poems about traveling to immortals are often a combination of advocating Taoism and the realm of wandering.
Since the Tang and Song Dynasties, poetry reflecting Taoist life and the pursuit of immortality has become increasingly prosperous. On the one hand, Taoists were enthusiastic about poetry creation. For example, the famous Taoist priests Lu Dongbin and Shi Jianwu combined their descriptions of landscapes and scenic spots to express their views on the purpose of Taoism and their belief in gods. They also described the methods of cultivating Taoism to reveal the profound philosophy of Taoist teachings. On the other hand, many literati also created some poetic works on such themes after being influenced by Taoist customs or observing and experiencing Taoist life. From the poet Wang Ji in the late Sui and early Tang Dynasty to the poets Meng Haoran and Li Bai in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, from the representatives of the Xikun School in the Northern Song Dynasty Yang Yi and Zhang Yong to the poet Yang Wanli in the Southern Song Dynasty, there are poems about Taoism and travels to immortals. Among these poets, some have ideological interests that are basically in tune with Taoist ideals of immortals. Although some do not believe in Taoism so devoutly, they often express the artistic conception of pursuing Taoist immortals in their creations.
Taoist poetry has made an indelible contribution to the history of Chinese literature because of its unique content and colorful expression techniques.