Viewing the Sea
[Wei and Jin Dynasties] Cao Cao
To the east is Jieshi to view the Sea.
Where is the water? The mountains and islands are standing tall.
There are many trees and lush grass.
The autumn wind is bleak and the waves are rising.
The journey of the sun and the moon would appear within it;
The stars would be brilliant as if they would appear within it.
Fortunately, I sing to express my ambition.
[Note]
① Jieshi: the name of the mountain. There are two Jieshi Mountains, and the big Jieshi Mountain is referred to at this time. One theory refers to Jieshi Mountain in present-day Changli County, Hebei Province.
②Dandan: The wave of water is swaying.
③竦志: Stand tall.
④Xinghan: Galaxy.
[Background]
"Guan Cang Hai" is Cao Cao's famous poem, written when he conquered Wuhuan. In 207 AD, Cao Cao personally led his army to the north to pursue and annihilate the remnants of Yuan Shao. In May, he vowed to launch a northern expedition. In July, he left Lulong Village and approached Jieshi Mountain. He jumped on his horse and whipped his whip, climbed a mountain to watch the sea, faced the surging sea, and was moved by the scene, and wrote this magnificent poem.
[Appreciation]
The first two sentences point out the location of "Viewing the Sea": the poet climbed to the top of Jieshi Mountain, high up on the sea, with a broad field of vision, and a panoramic view of the magnificent sea. The following ten descriptions are roughly expanded from this.
"The water is sluggish, but the mountains and islands are standing tall" is the general impression I get when looking at the sea, a bit like the thick lines of a painting. In this "roaming" sea, the first thing that catches the eye is the abrupt and towering mountain islands. They are dotted on the flat sea, making the sea look magical and spectacular. These two sentences describe the general outline of the sea view, which will be described in depth below.
"The trees are thick and the grass is luxuriant. The autumn wind is bleak and the flood waves are rising." The first two sentences specifically describe the mountain island of Changzhi: Although the autumn wind is bleak and the grass and trees are falling, the island is lush with trees. , the grass is rich and abundant, giving people a sense of vitality. The last two sentences are a further description of the sentence "How is the water so calm": If you look carefully, you will see that the sea surface in the bleak autumn wind is actually a huge wave, turbulent and ups and downs. Although it is a typical autumn environment here, there is no trace of desolate and sad autumn mood. Facing the bleak autumn wind, the author writes about the vastness and magnificence of the sea: in the bleak autumn wind, the sea is turbulent and vast, reaching the sky; the mountain islands are towering and straight, with lush vegetation, without any sentimental sentiment. This new realm and new style reflect his "martyr's" mind of "an old man who is still in trouble but aims for a thousand miles".
"The journey of the sun and the moon can be seen from within; the stars are shining brightly from within." The previous description is observed from the level of the sea, and these four sentences are connected with the boundless universe. The momentum and power of the sea are revealed in front of readers as long as possible: the vast sea is connected with the sky, and the sky is blurred; in front of this majestic and magnificent sea, the sun, moon, stars, and the Milky Way are all They appear insignificant, and their movements seem to be freely absorbed by the sea. The sea described by the poet here is not only the real scene in front of him, but also integrated with his own imagination and exaggeration, showing a majestic atmosphere that swallows the universe, and has the potential of "five mountains rising into a square inch". This kind of "covering the atmosphere" is the artistic realm formed by the blending of the scenery in the poet's eyes and the emotions in his heart. Speaking from the heart, if the poet does not have grand political ambitions, no ambition to make achievements, and no optimism about the future, he will never be able to write such a magnificent poem. In the past, some people said that Cao Cao's poems were "always domineering" (Shen De's subtext), referring to works such as "Guan Cang Hai".
"Fortunately, I sing to express my ambition." This is a cliché used when joining music. It has nothing to do with the content of the poem, so there is no need to elaborate.
[Features]
In the poem "Viewing the Sea", literally speaking, the sea water, mountains and islands, vegetation, autumn wind, and even the sun, moon and stars are all objects in sight, so pure In the history of Chinese literature, Cao Cao seemed to have never written poems about natural scenery before. It not only describes the scenery throughout the text, but also has a unique style. It can be called the earliest masterpiece of Chinese landscape poetry and is especially loved by literary historians. This poem describes the sea in autumn, which can wash away the sentimental sentiment of autumn. It is written in a majestic, vigorous and magnificent manner, which is closely related to Cao Cao's magnanimity, character and even aesthetic taste.
In this poem, scenery and emotion are closely combined. By writing about Canghai, the author expresses his ambition to unify China and make achievements. However, this kind of emotion is not directly expressed in the poem, but is contained in the description of the scenery, embodying the emotion in the scenery, describing the scenery in every sentence, and expressing emotions in every sentence. Although the six lines of "Where is the water" describe the vibrant sea scenery, they actually praise the magnificent mountains and rivers of the motherland, revealing the author's love for the motherland. Witnessing the magnificent scenery of the mountains and rivers of the motherland further aroused the poet's strong desire to unify the motherland. So we use rich imagination to fully express this desire. The author compares himself with the vast sea, and expresses the poet's broad mind and heroic spirit by writing about the momentum of the sea swallowing up the universe. His emotions are unrestrained but very reserved. The four sentences "Sun and Moon" are the climax of the description of the scene and the climax of the author's emotional development. Ao Taosun, a native of the Song Dynasty, said that Cao's poems are "like the veteran general of Youyan, with a majestic and majestic charm". The poem "Viewing the Sea" has a broad artistic conception and powerful momentum, which is consistent with the demeanor of an ambitious politician and military strategist. It really makes people read the poem as if they were seeing the person.
[Link]
Reading "Guan Cang Hai" by Chen Xiaoyan
At the beginning of the month, I read Cao Cao's poem "Guan Cang Hai". When I first read it, I couldn't understand its connotation. But I still carried it. Today in the car, I somehow remembered it and recited it. I also thought about its meaning and felt that although it didn't quite rhyme, it still had its artistic conception and included the magnificent scene of the vast sea. So, when I got home, I took out the book again, found this poem, read it carefully with reference to the annotations.
"To the east is the Jieshi to view the sea." It is simple and clear to write down the location when viewing, facing the Jieshi and looking at the sea. "The water is sluggish, but the mountains and islands stand tall. There are thick trees and luxuriant grass. The autumn wind is bleak and the waves are rising." wrote the momentum. "The journey of the sun and the moon can only be seen within it; the brilliance of stars can only be seen within it." The sea is so vast, and the sun, moon and stars are so brilliant. After reading this, one can't help but think that the author must also be a man of great achievements and a powerful figure.
A poem can often reflect a person's mood at that time, or even his own mood at a certain period. The key is to experience the emotion of the poem, the connotation of the poem, and the momentum of the poem. And these can only be understood after careful chewing. Just like Yan Liben, a great painter of the Tang Dynasty, who visited the murals of Zhang Sengyao, a painter of the Liang Dynasty, several times, one should observe carefully to understand the mystery. The taste can only gradually penetrate through repeated tastings. This is especially the charm of masterpieces.
(Liberation Army Daily, December 22, 2000, Page 7)