Images of the moon can be seen everywhere in Tang poetry. For example, Li Bai, whom we are familiar with, likes chanting the moon very much. According to the data, among more than 900 poems handed down by Li Bai, there are more than 320 poems related to the moon. So, what is the meaning of the moon in Tang poetry?
First, the moon itself is a beautiful scenery, and love for the moon is love for natural scenery. Needless to say, the moon itself is beautiful, and the poet undoubtedly has a very keen insight and feeling for the natural scenery. The quiet and elegant glow at night aroused the poet's love and his heavy thoughts. We can see many Tang poems describing the moon:
In the autumn of the first half of Mount Emei, the Pingqiang River reflected. (Li Bai's "Emei Mountain Moon Song")
As thin as a hook, as round, as if woven into a round fan. Thin shadows will be round. How many places in the world can you see them? (Xue Tao's "Month")
Second, the moon contains profound philosophical significance. Upper chord and lower chord; The moon is round and round, and the shape of the moon changes regularly, seemingly changing and unchanging; It seems short and eternal. A person's life is full of joys and sorrows, just like this month's profit and loss; Life is short, but this moon is like this year after year, and its face does not change. In contrast, it highlights the smallness of human beings and the eternity of nature.
Who saw the moon by the river for the first time? When did Jiang Yue take the photo at the beginning of the year? Life is endless from generation to generation, and Jiang Yue is only similar year after year. (Zhang "Moonlit Night on the Spring River")
The ancients said, if people are running water, they look at the bright moon. (Li Bai's Drinking for the Moon)
When you go to Qiu Lai in spring, you don't treat each other, and the moonlight in the water remains the same. (Cen Can's Song of Applying Water to Send Sinus to Beijing)
Moreover, the ancient poets in China were often frustrated, and they could feel this sense of loss in the middle of the month. Even by going up one flight of stairs realized the "cosmic consciousness" that life was short, small and bitter, but natural and eternal (Wen Yiduo's Poems of Returning to the Palace). Here, the "moon" becomes a step and a bridge, with a poet at one end and an eternal truth between man and nature at the other.
Thirdly, the moon becomes the carrier of the poet's thoughts and feelings.
(1) The image of the moon in the Goddess Chang'e flying to the moon's fairy tales is mysterious, lofty and pure, which is related to the poet's ideal and the bright, pure and beautiful world they yearn for:
We all hold high the idea of going far away. Who wants to go to the sky and embrace the bright moon? (Li Bai's Farewell to Secretary Shu Yun at Xie Tiao Villa in Xuanzhou)
Mermaids shed pearl-like tears on the moon-green sea, and the blue fields breathed their jade to the sun. (Li Shangyin's "Jinse")
Here, I use "the bright moon on the sea" and "the warmth of Lantian" to describe my beautiful ideal.
When the poet's ideal is frustrated, the moonlight will turn into sadness, which will undoubtedly arouse the sadness in the poet's heart and make the poet give a faint sigh through the "moon"
(2) There is a poem about beauty following the moon in The Book of Songs ("The moon is bright and people are haggard").
The moon in Tang poetry often carries pure and noble love and acacia. For example:
Poor people wander upstairs for the moon, so they should leave someone to fill the mirror. The curtain of the jade pot can't be rolled up, but it is still brushed on the anvil. (Zhang "Moonlit Night on the Spring River")
Wandering in the month, in fact, who leaves people can't sleep well; Roll up the curtains, the moon will be brighter, the moonlight will not roll away, and neither will sadness. The moonlight shines away from people, and the shadow is projected on the chopping block, which can't be brushed off. The image of a homesick woman is vividly on the paper.
(3) In the full moon season, the full moon symbolizes the poet's longing for a complete life and the expectation of family reunion. Because of all kinds of disappointments in reality, friends and relatives have not seen each other for many years, and this feeling is particularly strong, which leads to the feeling of missing friends and relatives:
I looked up at the moon and looked down, feeling nostalgic. (Li Bai's Silent Night Thinking)
The dew turns to frost tonight, and the moonlight at home is bright! (Du Fu's Remembering Brothers on a Moonlit Night)
I entrust my sad thoughts to the moon, hoping to accompany you to the west of Yelang. (Li Bai's "I heard that Wang Changling left and moved to Longbiao Kiln to send this")
4. Quiet, elegant and quiet moonlight fits the elegant and peaceful feelings of many ancient poets in China, as well as their interest and pursuit of a quiet and refined life;
It's too light for anyone to hear, except my partner, Mingyue. (Wang Wei's Bamboo House)
The bright moon shed clear light from the cracks and cleared the fountain on the rocks. (Wang Wei's Autumn Night in the Deep Mountains)
In any case, the image of "moon" is used by poets, and its meaning is getting richer and richer. There are still many places worth exploring about the moon and Tang poetry.