This poem uses the metaphor of a caged eagle to express the author's lofty ideals when he participated in political reform activities, as well as his grief and indignation at being persecuted after the failure; he longs to one day break out of the cage, spread his wings and achieve his goals. Grand aspirations.
The first half of the poem depicts the majestic appearance of an eagle striking the sky, commanding the wind and clouds. The first two sentences are "The miserable wind is blowing and the frost is blowing, and the goshawk flies up to overturn the dawn." It is said that the goshawk is not afraid of the severe cold and welcomes the dawn to fly up to the thin sky. The cold-toned words "sad wind" and "severe frost" in "The clouds are shrouded in mist, the rainbow is broken, and the wind is rushing with thunderbolts." The whole picture is filled with a chilling atmosphere. And words such as "Hauni" and "Thunderbolt" add a few dazzling warm colors. "The goshawk plows and cuts the thorns with great strength, and seizes the fox and the rabbit to fly into the vast sky." The goshawk's deeds are described in a rough pen. "One cut" and "one grab" are vigorous and agile, which can be said to be invincible. "Hundreds of birds have died with their claws and feathers kissing them, and they look back with excitement when they look back independently." The goshawk's spirit is depicted in a close-up, majestic and extraordinary. The "Jing Zao" and "Fox Rabbit" here are not only suitable for the current situation, but also contain political implications.
Liu Zongyuan praised the goshawk. Readers who want to know the author's true meaning can find the answer from his candid letters. "A Letter to Meng Ke from Xu Jingzhao" says: "In his early years, Zongyuan was friendly with the guilty, and he began to marvel at his ability, saying that he could establish benevolence and righteousness and benefit education. If he failed, he would be diligent and avoid incentives, and he would only aim to be upright and trustworthy. To promote the teachings of Yao, Shun and Confucius and to benefit Yuan Yuan as our main task, we do not know how to be ignorant and cannot be strong. This is the original intention." He also said: "You are young and energetic, and you don't know the signs, and you don't know whether to take them. But if you want to go straight, you will fall into the criminal law, and you will get what you want. How can it be surprising?" Although there is a sense of self-contempt and self-blame here, but He did not deny that on the occasion of the "Yongzhen Revolution", he had the ambition to save the world and the people, and hoped to achieve success "with one heart and one mind". Liu Zongyuan was successful as a young man and was in a prominent position. His majestic spirit was like that of a vigorous goshawk.
The second half of the poem describes a sudden change in the situation. The goshawk suddenly encountered misfortune, feeling trapped and frightened, and restless day and night. "The scorching wind and heat suddenly come, and the wings fall off and destroy the body." The change of seasons is a metaphor for the changes in the political situation, and the shedding of hair and feathers implies one's own persecution. "The coypus in the grass are infested, and one night they are frightened and injured." The infestation of coypus is a metaphor for a dangerous situation, and the restless sleep expresses the accumulated anger in the chest. Liu Zongyuan was deposed and suffered the pain of being imprisoned. It is natural and appropriate to describe himself as an eagle in distress, with its wings broken and its feathers broken, and being slaughtered by others. The last two sentences of the poem, "I hope that the Qing Dynasty and Shang Dynasty will be false again, and pull away thousands of clouds to fly", which reflects the poet's eagerness to "abolish". This feeling was expressed again and again in his letters. This poem fully demonstrates Liu Zongyuan's inner confidence in himself and his contempt for his persecutors.
Jin Yuanhao commented on Liu Shi: "The style of thanking guests reflects the past and the present. Whose origin is as deep as Liuzhou? The sound of Zhu Xian's brush is there, but it is the lonely heart of the past." ("Mr. Yishan's Collected Works" Vol. 11 "On Poetry Quatrains") explains in one sentence the characteristics of Liu Zongyuan's poems that are deeply emotional and have sounds beyond the strings. This poem "Caged Eagle Ci" reflects this characteristic of Liu's poetry.