Comparative reading is an important method for poetry appreciation. Using comparative reading method is conducive to cultivating the depth and breadth of our thinking, cultivating our ability of personalized reading and exploratory reading, and is conducive to cultivating Our ability to integrate knowledge can achieve the effect of drawing inferences from one instance and making a comprehensive understanding.
Comparative reading can use the following methods:
1. Comparative reading of works by the same poet and the same theme
For example, two poems by the Tang Dynasty poet Li Bai about the Three Gorges of the Yangtze River Compare:
Early departure for Baidi City
The White Emperor's farewell speech was among the colorful clouds,
Thousands of miles of Jiangling are returned in one day.
The apes on both sides of the strait can’t stop crying.
The boat has passed the Ten Thousand Mountains.
Upper Three Gorges
Wushan Mountain is surrounded by green mountains, and the water flows like a flowing stream.
The water in Ba can suddenly be exhausted, and the blue sky will never arrive.
Three mornings are bulls, and three evenings are too late.
Three mornings and three dusk, and I don’t realize that my temples have become silky.
Although these two poems about the Three Gorges were both written by the poet Li Bai, their emotions and styles are quite different. The former is emotionally joyful and cheerful; the latter is emotionally depressed and sour. When reading "Early Departure from Baidi City", you should use a brisk tone to express your joyful mood; when reading "Up to the Three Gorges", you should use a slow and low tone to express the poet's dull and bitter mood. Why is there this difference? The great scholar Wang Guowei said in "Human Words": "In ancient times, when people talked about poetry, they differentiated between scenery language and love language. They didn't know that all scenery language is love language." "Up to the Three Gorges" was written when the poet was on his way to exile in Yelang. It describes the precipitous Wushan Mountain and the winding Ba River. The boat going upstream along the Yangtze River is slow and difficult to move. Moreover, the poet turned white overnight because of his sorrow. The exile only felt that the adversity was unbearable and felt angry. No matter how magnificent the scenery was, he was not in the mood to appreciate it. "Early Departure from Baidi City" was written when the poet suddenly heard the letter of pardon during his exile and immediately returned to the east by boat. The water was flowing down the river and he was in a very happy mood. Looking at the high city in the distance, the morning light is shining brightly, the mind is widened, and the boat is moving briskly. The same poet, the same scenery, but the atmosphere is completely different, which is a vivid portrayal of "melting into the scenery" and "entering without emotion".
2. Comparative reading of works of the same poet with different styles
For example, comparison of two poems by the Tang Dynasty poet Du Fu
Searching for Flowers Alone by the River (Part 6)
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Huang Si’s natal family is full of flowers,
Thousands of flowers weigh down the branches.
Lingering butterflies dance all the time,
The orioles are just singing at ease.
Spring Hope
The country is broken by mountains and rivers, and the city has deep spring vegetation.
I am moved to tears by the flowers, and the birds are frightened by the hatred.
The war rages on for three months, and a letter from home is worth ten thousand gold.
The white-headed scratches are shorter, and the lust is overwhelming.
These two poems reflect Du Fu’s different creative styles. "Spring Hope" was written in March 757 and mainly reflects Du Fu's melancholy and frustrated style. It was made by Du Fu when he was captured by the Anshi rebels and brought back to Chang'an. The first four lines of the poem describe the dilapidated scene of Spring City, full of sadness and lamentation; the last four lines describe the heartfelt concern for relatives, full of the pain of the country being destroyed, the family being destroyed, and the separation. The whole poem is profound and the emotions are natural and sincere. "Lonely Walking by the River Looking for Flowers" (Part 6) embodies the diversity of Du Fu's style in a natural and relaxed way.
3. Comparative reading of works of different styles in the same period
Please compare two poems written by poets Ai Qing and Tian Jian during the Anti-Japanese War:
I love this Land
Ai Qing
If I were a bird,
I should also use hiss