Cao Xueqin's best friend, Zhi Yanzhai, once analyzed the plot of Xiangling's poems: "Think about Xiangling's character, you won't let Ying (Spring) explore (Spring), you won't let Feng (Wang Xifeng) Qin (Ke Qing), your elegance won't let Li (Wan) hairpin, and your romantic life won't let (Xiang) (Jade). People who cherish it are in trouble when they are young, and their fate is embarrassing, leading to the side room. And I have learned that I can't go hand in hand with Lin Xiangbei. However, this person can't enter the park. Therefore, to enter the park, there is no gap in the end, and we have to plan four more times. If you want to enter the park, you must stay. " This comment provides an incisive hint for us to understand this article.
Xiangling, formerly known as Zhen, was born in a scholarly family. She was abducted by a kidnapper at the age of 5, bought as a concubine by Xue Pan at the age of 13, and then stayed in Jiafu temporarily. When she was studying poetry, she was just as old as the students in Grade Two and Grade Three. She studied poetry and worshipped Daiyu. Daiyu was 15 years old, which is equivalent to the age of junior three students now. In terms of age, Xiangling can be said to be "shameless".
Combined with the above comments of Zhi Yanzhai, let's take a look at Cao Xueqin's originality in the layout of the article.
Before Xiangling studied poetry, the daughters of Daguan Garden had already formed the Haitang Poetry Society and successfully engaged in several poetry creation activities. The poetry in the novel is very rich. Secondly, Xue Pan, an arrogant idiot, is obsessed with homosexuality because of evil thoughts. In modern terms, he was beaten up by a decent gentleman, Liu Xianglian, who was ashamed to meet people. He decided to go out and do business with old Dehui, who is the general manager of Xue Pawnshop. After Xue Pan left, Xiangling was left alone in the room, so she moved into Wu Hengyuan of Grand View Garden to live with her sister-in-law Xue Baochai, which provided convenience for her to learn poetry from Daiyu in Xiaoxiang Pavilion. This is the actual situation that Zhi Yanzhai said that "if you want to enter the park, you must stay for a long time before you can swim".
Why does Xiangling study poetry? Why did Cao Xueqin say Xiangling's poem? How does Xiangling learn poetry? What are the lessons? Such a question is intriguing.
1. Why does Xiangling study poetry?
On the surface, it is because Xiangling is unwilling to be lonely. But from Xiangling's subconscious, she wants to return her scholarly daughter to her true colors. This subconscious mind is consistent with her essential needs: it is natural for her to live the spiritual life of the upper class, that is, the aristocratic class, and pursue physical and mental happiness after material satisfaction. After learning to write poetry, she can justly participate in the activities of Haitang Poetry Society, on an equal footing with Baochai, Daiyu and Sanchun sisters. This should also be the relevant comments of the above-mentioned red inkstone.
Second, why should the novel describe Xiangling's poems with relish?
The first is to improve Xiangling's ideological character. Xiangling was born in a "country official" family and was born with beauty. After being kidnapped, she was also deprived of the right to education. In the feudal society that lasted for thousands of years, literature belonged to the ruling class. Poetry is the jewel in the crown of literature, and only those who love poetry can enter the elite. There is an old saying in China that "if you don't learn poetry, you have nothing to say". Poetry is an important tool and means to make people gentle. Learning poetry itself is a gentle process. Therefore, Xiangling, who is willing but unable to do so, should not write poetry. Even if she can't write poetry before, she must learn to write poetry. Poetry makes people more true, kind and beautiful. Characters like Xiangling and Cao Xueqin's sympathetic attitude towards her can't stop her from writing poems.
The second is to enrich the characters of Daiyu. Daiyu was born a sentimental poet. Judging from many poems written by Cao Xueqin for her, she is worthy of being a first-class poet in the Grand View Garden. However, in Lin Daiyu's contacts with Baoyu and Baochai, she gave a deep impression of being suspicious and crying. The novel should show her considerate, caring, sympathetic and helpful side. So Xiang Ling just moved to Baochai's house and offered to learn poetry from Baochai. Baochai thinks that "a woman without talent is virtue" and "learning poetry is not her duty", and she doesn't quite agree. Xiangling had to consult Daiyu. Besides, at this time, the story of Baoyu's "complaining to his heart" has already happened. Daiyu no longer doubted Baoyu's love, and her mood was relatively stable, so she became interested and patient and told Xiangling about her experience in writing poems. Through the plot of Daiyu teaching Xiangling to learn poetry, the author makes readers truly feel that Daiyu is not only aloof and arrogant, but also enthusiastic, cheerful and tireless in teaching others.
From the above two points, we can also see Cao Xueqin's aesthetic view: literature, especially poetry, is the exclusive product of the elite. Although Xiangling is Xue Pan's concubine, her original lineage is noble, and in the words of Zhi Yanzhai, she has a "foundation". No matter how cute the characters in the novel are, such as Wen Qing, Yuanyang, and Pinger, Jia Lian's maid, they can't and dare not learn poetry. "The authorities are fascinated", and the cunning and treacherous Wang Xifeng was born without poetry.
Third, how does Xiangling learn poetry?
Step one, you like it. Before moving into the Grand View Garden, I secretly watched two songs when I was free.
Step two, ask the teacher. Read the classics carefully. Wang Wei, Du Fu and Li Taibai are familiar with 300 Tang poems.
The third step is the combination of reading and writing. Under the guidance of my teacher, I am brave in writing and not afraid of failure. "My clothes are getting wider and wider. I don't regret it." Everything comes to him who waits, I firmly believe that the dream pen can blossom.
4. What are the lessons of Xiangling's poetry study?
Let's look at Xiangling's first poem, "The Seven Laws of Singing the Moon", which was written at the behest of Lin's teacher Daiyu:
The moon is hanging in the sky, the night is cold, the light is clear and the shadow is round.
Poets often want to play when they are entertaining, but strangers can't bear to watch it.
A jade mirror is hung next to the jade building, and an ice tray is hung outside the bead curtain.
Why light silver candles on a bright night? Clear colors are shining on the painting column.
Dai Yu's evaluation of this poem is: "meaningful, but the wording is indecent." Teacher Lin's criticism is very limited, in order to protect the enthusiasm of students. These eight poems are really childish and narrow-minded, and they are written only by piling up words. In addition to the couplet "Poets often want to play in entertainment, but strangers can't bear to watch it", the rest of the triple talk about Na Yue is blunt in writing, thin in content, and far from "conception". The greatest function of poetry is "lyricism". Poetry, like general literary works, should first pay attention to conception. These eight poems have no "intention", but they are written like a beaten student crying and reluctantly. How can this succeed? The key to the success of poetry is good intentions. Like Yu Qian's Ode to Lime: "A thousand hammers cut out a deep mountain, and the fire is only idle. I am not afraid of being smashed, I want to remain innocent in the world. " How strong thoughts and feelings are conveyed by lofty ideals, and how firm and upright personality is expressed!
Let's look at the second song written by Xiangling after listening to Dai Yu's advice:
Unlike the silver moon, the moonlight reflects cold light, and looking up at the clear sky in the night sky supports a jade plate.
Plum blossoms in the moonlight exude a strong fragrance, and the silver branches of willow branches look dry.
The faint white powdery mildew on the golden steps is like a thin layer of light frost flying on the jade pillar.
Wake up in the west wing is silent, only the waning moon in the sky can look into the distance through the curtain.
This poem about the moon, which Xiangling thinks is "wonderful", is still not satisfactory despite some progress. Baochai pointed out that it was a bit "off topic" and only wrote Moonlight from beginning to end. "Off-topic" is indeed a common distress for practitioners. In fact, aside from digression, the fundamental problem is the lack of "intention". Without "intention", there is no way to talk about true feelings. Xiangling always carves words and phrases, and only pays attention to the images such as "reflecting the cold in the window", "protecting the jade plate", "plum blossom", "willow ribbon", "residual powder", "pale frost" and "west building", and overemphasizes "skills", which goes against Daiyu's teaching that "words and phrases are the end and the first meaning is the most important", and only describes a few things.
"Xiangling studied hard and Xue Jing really got together." After two setbacks, she finally wrote the third successful song:
No one can hide the brilliance of the moon. Her beautiful figure is beautiful and her texture is much worse.
Yi Dao's voice came from the vast Ye Yuan, and the rooster crowed at night to stop the waning moon from hanging in the horizon.
Wanderers in Qiu Jiang are more melancholy when they listen to the flute, and the young woman upstairs leans against the railing at the end of the night.
To win Chang 'e, you have to ask, why not reunite forever!
Dai Yu and everyone said this song was "novel and interesting". The success of this song, first of all, changed the defect of "unintentional" in the first two songs, so I devoted my true feelings to chanting the moon. The whole poem makes good use of borrowing things to express its feelings of being unwilling to be lonely and wanting to make a difference through chanting the moon. Poetry is about conception. With careful conception and artistic means, you can't write a good poem? Xiangling's successful work provides a good experience. The first couplet "Fine is hard to hide, shadows are cold, and souls follow" reflects Xiangling's own life experience. Her source is the condensation of the essence of heaven and earth "It should be difficult to hide" includes that she was abducted and trafficked by a kidnapper and finally "cast" into a rich family, which is a "blessing" in great misfortune. At the same time, I also implicitly pointed out my confidence that my talent will be hard to bury and I can write a good poem after all. "The shadow returns from the soul to the cold" implies that it fell into the hands of the foolish old man Xue Pan, which is another misfortune in the "good fortune". The couplet "an anvil knocks a thousand miles, and half a round of chickens sings five more" is a link between the preceding and the following. On the surface, it is written about the bleak moonlight, but in fact, it is written about its own situation "bleak and cold", expressing a touch of bitterness. "Knocking on the anvil" is a common artistic conception in ancient poems, which describes thinking about women beating clothes under the moon and implies that Xiangling misses her husband. "Chickens sing more than five lame people" is also a common scene to describe missing a long-distance husband. This couplet is well written. Necklace couplet "Qingqiang River smells the autumn flute, the tea house leans against the railing all night", "Qingqiang" means the husband who is outside, "Qingqiang River smells the autumn flute", who can't stand homesickness! Tea, which is symmetrical with the green gun, can be regarded as Xiangling's self-direction. "Loutou Night Leaning on the Bar" expresses concern and yearning for her husband who is away from home. This couplet contains profound ideological content, and the realm of the poem is very open. The couplet "Why can't we get together forever when we get Chang 'e" skillfully uses the allusion of "Lonely Chang 'e" and writes a heartfelt sigh in combination with her husband's widowed life after he went to sea for business. Although her husband is a big fool, as a weak woman, she can't escape the fate of "marrying a chicken and following a dog". Xiangling regards Xue Pan as her lifelong dependence, and she still loves her husband very much. Writing the moon on the surface of the whole poem actually deeply embodies the poet's life experience and feelings. The combination of the moon and people and the blending of things and feelings have become excellent works of chanting things.
This wonderful article from the novel is essentially the story of the author Cao Xueqin's poetry creation theory and experience. Coupled with Lin Daiyu's teaching of Xiangling, Xiangling's step-by-step learning process is beautifully expressed and fascinating. Reading the text carefully can not only help us "have no poems to sing", but also help us learn Chinese well. For example, the scope of life is equal to the scope of Chinese learning. Learning Chinese should be conscientious, enhance learning interest, learn from capable people, be diligent and eager to learn, ask for advice with an open mind, be brave in practice and not be afraid of failure, and so on.