"Ode to the Willow" was written by He Zhizhang, a famous poet of the Tang Dynasty. Two sentences in it compare the spring breeze in February to scissors for cutting delicate leaves: "I don't know who cuts the thin leaves, but the spring breeze in February is like scissors." .
The original poem is as follows:
"Ode to the Willow"
Tang Dynasty·He Zhizhang
Jasper makes up a tree as high as a tree, and thousands of green branches hang down Silk ribbon.
I don’t know who cuts out the thin leaves. The spring breeze in February is like scissors. Extended information
1. Translation
The tall willow trees are covered with new green leaves, and the gentle willow branches hang down, like thousands of gently fluttering green ribbons.
Whose skillful hands cut these thin young leaves? It turned out to be the warm spring breeze in February, like a pair of dexterous scissors.
2. Appreciation
"The jasper is as high as a tree, with thousands of green silk ribbons hanging down", which deeply captures the characteristics of the weeping willow. In the poet's eyes, it looks like a beautiful woman. incarnation. The tall tree trunks are like her graceful grace, and the drooping wickers are like the ribbons on her skirt.
Here, willow is human and human is willow. There seems to be no clear distinction between the two. And "jasper" also has a pun meaning. It not only coincides with the green color of the willow tree in the literal sense, but also refers to a young and beautiful girl. It echoes the "February Spring Breeze" below - this is a weeping willow in early spring. It has not yet reached summer and autumn. time.
However, the following two sentences are even better: "I don’t know who carried the thin leaves. The spring breeze in February is like scissors." Before He Zhizhang, who had ever thought that the spring breeze was like scissors? It turns the spring breeze in February, which is suddenly warm and cold, from invisible to tangible. It shows the magical dexterity of the spring breeze and makes "Ode to the Willows" a model work of poetry about objects.
This poem uses willow trees to sing about the spring breeze, comparing the spring breeze to scissors, saying that she is the creator of beauty, and praising her for cutting out spring. The poem is filled with people's joy at early spring. The novelty and appropriateness of comparisons and metaphors are the success of this poem.
3. Introduction to the author
He Zhizhang (659-744), courtesy name Jizhen, also known as Siming Kuangke, Han nationality, was born in Yongxing (now Xiaoshan, Zhejiang), Yuezhou (now Shaoxing), Tang Dynasty He Zhizhang's poems and essays are famous for their quatrains. In addition to the music for worshiping gods and the poems made in response to his wishes, his works describing scenes and expressing feelings are unique in style, fresh and unrestrained. His two famous poems, "Ode to the Willows" and "Returning to the Hometown", are well-known and have been recited through the ages. There are still 19 poems recorded in "Complete Poems of the Tang Dynasty".