China's ancient poetry has a very long history, starting from The Book of Songs and Songs of the South and continuing to the Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties. In such a long history of poetry, which stage of poetry is the best? Tang poetry! It can be said that Tang poetry is a poem among poems.
The achievements of poetry in past dynasties are closest to those of Tang poetry. Poets in Song Dynasty spoke highly of Tang poetry.
Wang Anshi, one of the three great poets in the Northern Song Dynasty, said:
Lao Du refers to Du Fu, who wrote all the good sentences in the world. He added: All the common languages and popular good sentences in the world have been exhausted by Lotte, who is Bai Juyi.
Wang Anshi believes that elegant and beautiful poems are all written by Du Fu, while popular poems are all written by Bai Juyi. As a great poet, he has a feeling that poets in the Tang Dynasty are really great, and almost all good sentences are written.
In the early years of the Northern Song Dynasty, there was a poet named Wang Cheng, who was very famous, but not as good as Wang Anshi. That year, Wang Yucheng was demoted from Kaifeng to Shangzhou, a relatively remote Shaanxi province, and became an agreement officer. There is a small yard in his home. There are a peach tree and an apricot tree in the yard. Spring came, and when peaches and plums were in bloom, I got up one morning and the wind blew all night, breaking the branches of peach trees and apricot trees. The branches are still full of flowers and birds are singing on them.
Wang Yucheng, wrote a poem:
Two peaches and apricots reflect the fence and decorate the home of Shangzhou's deputy envoy.
Why can't the spring breeze be tolerated, and Yinger blows off the branches and leaves.
There are two peach trees and apricot trees growing obliquely beside the fence. I am an envoy and a small official of Shangzhou, and my family is already very poor. With this peach tree and apricot tree, there is a little more breath of spring. Why doesn't the spring breeze let me blow off peach blossoms and apricot blossoms, and blow off branches? ! )
It should be said that this is a good poem. First, the scenery he wrote is rare. The branches are blown off by the wind and the flowers on the branches are still in full bloom. Secondly, the conception of this poem is rather strange. The wind was unintentional, but he said that the spring breeze was intended to bully me, would not tolerate me, and deliberately scraped them off.
A few days later, Wang Yucheng's son Wang Jiayou said, Father, this poem you wrote the other day seems to have been stolen from Du Fu's poem. Wang said, how is this possible? I created it entirely by myself.
The son took out a book of Du Fu's poems and showed it to his father. Sure enough, when Du Fu was in Chengdu Caotang, he wrote a poem entitled "Overflow of quatrains":
The peaches and plums planted by hand are not ownerless, but the old wall is still home.
Just like the spring breeze deceives each other, branches and flowers are blown off at night.
The peach and plum trees planted in my family are not without owners. Wild always refers to ordinary people. The walls of my house are very low. After all, this is my home, and no one can invade it at will. The spring breeze bullied me, and the wind blew all night at night, blowing off all the branches of my tree, which were still blooming. )
Let's look at these two poems. Their themes, contents and sentences are very close. The problem is that Wang Yucheng didn't copy Du Fu's poems, but he personally saw the scenery and created them himself. The son said that he copied Du Fu. Wang Yucheng was not angry, but very happy and overjoyed. He said, I didn't expect my poems to be written so well, almost like those written by Du Fu.
What does this story tell us? Wang Anshi said that the best language in the world has been exhausted by Lao Du. There are not only Du Fu and Bai Juyi, but also Li Bai, Wang Wei and Li Shangyin in the Tang Dynasty. There are so many good poets and so many good poems. It can be said that they almost wrote all the sights, joys and sorrows that the ancients could see in their lives, and they were all well written. So Wang Anshi will make such a sigh.
Mr. Lu Xun also said something similar. In a letter he wrote to his friend Yang Jiyun, he commented on Tang poetry like this: I thought all good poems were written in the Tang Dynasty. Without the Monkey King's skill, there would be no need to write poems. Wen Yiduo said, people say it's Tang poetry, but I want to say it backwards, it's Tang poetry, it's Tang poetry. The Tang Dynasty is characterized by poetry, which is an era of poetry.
Why is this?
To sum up, the whole society in the Tang Dynasty attached importance to poetry, liked it and respected it. In the Tang Dynasty, the person with the highest social status was a poet.
We can look at this problem from two angles.
Look at the upper ruling class first. There was an imperial examination system in the Tang Dynasty. It should be said that the imperial examination system was a very ingenious political design in ancient China. When the British knew that there was an imperial examination system in China, there was a civil service examination system in China a thousand years ago, and they were very surprised to select talents to pass the examination.
There were several imperial examinations in the Tang Dynasty, the most one was called Mingjingke, and the other was called Jinshi. At that time, people paid the most attention, and the court paid the most attention. First of all, that's Jinshi, not Mingjing. At that time, there was a saying: Ming Jing at the age of 30, Jinshi at the age of 50.
If a person takes the Ming Classic, keeps taking it, and finally gets in at the age of 30, people will say that this person is worthless and didn't get in until he was 30, so he is called the Ming Classic at the age of 30.
It is difficult to get into Jinshi. He has been taking exams. At the age of 50, he was finally admitted to Jinshi. People say he is great. He is only 50 years old, so he was admitted to the Jinshi at such a young age, so he was called the 50-year-old Jinshi.
In the Tang Dynasty, Jinshi mainly took the examination of poetry and fu, and wrote a poem and a fu, among which poetry was particularly important. In the Tang dynasty, whether a person can be admitted to Jinshi depends on how well your poems are written. As you can imagine, scholars in the whole society at that time had to study and practice writing poems very hard if they wanted to take the exam. The whole society attaches importance to poetry, forming this trend.
In addition, there is another reason. There was a term in the Tang Dynasty called Xingjuan. The works and books written by the ancients are not bound one by one like we are now. The ancients rolled up a paper roll and tied it with a belt in the middle, which was called a roll. What we are talking about now is actually a continuation of the old saying.
What is a scroll? Line is to send, line is to send this volume. The Jinshi examination in the Tang Dynasty is different from the Jinshi examination after the Song Dynasty. Since the Song Dynasty, the Jinshi Examination has been a lifelong examination paper. After the test paper is sent, someone will be responsible for copying it again and correcting it. So people who read the newspaper don't know who wrote it. Not in the Tang Dynasty. It's written on the test paper. Whose test paper is this? Whether a candidate can be admitted depends on whether the candidate is famous or recommended before the exam. If a prime minister, princess and other people with status recommend to the examiner, there is a great possibility of admission.
In this way, in addition to writing poems in the examination room, candidates usually have to do a series of work, that is, examination papers. After you roll up your own work, send it to relevant people all over the country, let them have a look first and help recommend it. The style of writing in the Tang Dynasty played a great role in promoting poetry creation.
Legend has it that Wang Weikao went to a princess's house to play the pipa before entering the Jinshi. Wang Wei is good at music. As soon as the princess listens, she plays it very well. Others say that his poems are well written. The princess read his poem again and thought it was good. She immediately recommended it. The princess said that this young man must be admitted this year, and sure enough he was admitted that year.
In the Tang dynasty, the examination of scholars should be based on poetic talent. If a person can't write poetry, it is difficult to make a difference in his official career. This imperial examination system promoted the prosperity of poetry.
In the Tang Dynasty, from the supreme ruler to the emperor and generals all liked poetry. In the imperial court, poetry competitions are often held.
One year, Tang Zhongzong held a poetry contest in front of Kunming Pool in Chang 'an and built a colorful building. The emperor, queen and judge are sitting on the colorful building, and the officials are downstairs. Everyone wrote a poem to participate. When you're finished, hand it in. After a while, if anyone doesn't comment, throw your poem from the colorful building.
I saw the paper, like snowflakes, floating down from the colorful building. The people below are going to pick it up. When they see that this is Li Si's, they put it away, which means that you have failed the list. That is Zhang San's. Put it away, too. In a short time, most people have their own poems.
In the end, only two people didn't get it, one was Shen Quanqi and the other was Song. Their works are still in the colorful building and entered the final round of PK. The two poets were eponymous at that time: Shen Song. After a while, a piece of paper flew down and everyone ran to see it. It belongs to Shen Quanqi, indicating that Song Wenzhi won the prize and won the first place.
The presiding judge is Shangguan Waner, a very talented lady, and Wu Zetian appreciates her very much. After the selection, Shangguan Waner came out to comment on why their poems were finally selected for Song Wenzhi.
Shangguan Waner said that the first two poems were written almost equally, but at the end of the two poems, Shen Quanqi said: I am a poor minister and ashamed to see them. These two sentences, the sentence is over and the meaning is over. Song's conclusion is: Don't worry about the full moon, there will be a night pearl. Although the poem is finished, its meaning is not finished, and it still has a aftertaste. You can think for yourself, so it is superior to others. Shen Quanqi listened to take orally.
On another occasion, Wu Zetian led hundreds of officials to Luoyang. A poetry contest was held in Longmen, Luoyang. Everyone wrote poems, and Wu Zetian personally selected them. Wu Zetian was impatient, and the papers were not collected, so she won the first place. There is a poet named Oriental Autumn. His poems are very good. Wu Zetian saw the joy and immediately ordered him to be rewarded with a brocade robe. A brocade robe may not be worth much, but it was given by the emperor. Dongfang Qiu was disgraced to put on a brocade robe in public.
Unexpectedly, after a while, Song's works were handed in, and Wu Zetian took a look and wrote better. Wu Zetian ordered Dongfang Qiu: "Please take off your brocade robe and let Song put it on.". It is a great honor for you to get the highest award on this occasion. Social atmosphere, even the whole society, has greatly promoted and promoted the poet's writing.
Leave it to the emperor to see how the people feel. This is also the case.
There is a story about a flag pavilion painting a wall. The so-called flag pavilion is the hotel and wine pavilion. Outside the old hotel, there is either a wooden signboard or a flag that says "restaurant". Drawing a wall is to draw a mark on the wall, which is called drawing a wall.
There were three famous poets in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, one was Wang Changling, the other was Gao Shi and the other was Wang Huanzhi. One day, they met in Chang 'an and went to a hotel to drink together. Talk about poetry while drinking. After a while, a group of singers came and sat at the other end of the hotel. The three poets said that in normal times, we all think our poems are well written. I refuse to obey you, and you refuse to obey me. There happened to be a group of singers today, singers from the Tang Dynasty. The popular songs they sing are all famous Tang poems.
Three poets said, today, let's listen to whose works these singers sing, which shows that his poems are better and more famous. Sure enough, the singers began to sing.
The first singer stood up and sang:
It's cold and rainy, and it's night in Wu, and Chushan sees off guests and is flat and bright.
Friends, if my friends in Luoyang invite me; Just say I'm still Bing Xin Okho, and stick to my faith!
This is a photo of Wang Changling breaking up with Xin Jian at Furong Inn. Wang Changling was very happy, so he reached out and drew a mark on the wall behind him. While painting, he sang one of my quatrains.
After a while, the second singer stood up and sang a five-character song:
I tore open my clothes with tears the day before yesterday and saw your book.
How lonely is the night platform? Still like a cloud.
This is the first four sentences in a five-character ancient poem by Gao Shi, which can be written independently. Gao Shi was also very happy. He drew a line on the wall behind him and made a quatrain.
The third singer stood up and sang a seven-character quatrain:
The broom opens the golden palace, and the round fan will wander for a while.
A beautiful face is not as beautiful as a crow, and it can also bring the shadow of Zhaoyang Hall.
It's another poem by Wang Changling, which is called "Long Letter and Autumn Poems". Wang Changling is happier. Looking back, he drew another poem and two quatrains.
At this time, Wang Chang's teeth and Gao Shi smiled at Wang Huan's face, and Wang Huan's face could not stand it. He said, don't be too happy. The three singers just sang were not very good-looking, and their poems were just so-so. Look, the most beautiful one hasn't been sung yet. She will sing later. If it's still your poem, I give up.
After a while, the fourth singer stood up and sang:
The Yellow River is far above the white clouds, an isolated city, Wan Ren Mountain.
Why does Qiangdi complain about Yangliu? The spring breeze is only the Yumen Pass.
That's Wang Zhihuan's Liangzhou Ci. Wang Huan was very happy and really got him right. All three of them laughed.
The singer over there heard laughter, and one of them ran over and asked, gentlemen, why are you so happy? The poems you just sang were all written by the three of us. The singer said: I really don't know Mount Tai, so the fairy is around. So, the singers came over, bowed to the three poets and invited them to drink together.
This story shows that in the prosperous Tang Dynasty, poetry was the most popular song in society and was widely welcomed by the people.
Bai Juyi is a great poet and a popular poet. His poems can even be read by illiterate old ladies, so Bai Juyi's poems are highly accepted in the society and appeal to both refined and popular tastes.
One year, Bai Juyi was banished from Chang 'an to Jiujiang, Jiangxi, which was called Jiangzhou at that time. After arriving in Jiangzhou, write Pipa Travel. It seems that being demoted has become a good thing for him.
After arriving in Jiangzhou, Bai Juyi wrote a letter to his good friend Yuan Zhen. He said: this time I was demoted from Chang' an to Jiangzhou, and I walked three or four thousand miles along the way, passing many rural primary schools and some temples. My poems can be seen everywhere on the walls and pillars. Along the way, I met some men and women, some farmers and some monks, who often recited my poems. I am very happy.
Bai Juyi's poems, and one of the most enthusiastic readers, have a person who worships him very much. The man's surname is Ge, and his name cannot be verified. Ge likes tattoos. His tattoo is not a dragon or a white tiger. His whole body, from chest to back, from arm to thigh, was covered with more than 30 poems by Bai Juyi. You ask him a poem by Bai Juyi, and he can tell you where it is on him at once. He walked around like this, and everyone could see Bai Juyi's poems, just like a flowing poem board.
Also in the middle Tang Dynasty, there was another story. There was a poet named Li She, not as famous as Bai Juyi, but also a famous poet at that time. Once, when he was traveling, he passed a place called Jinglansha, which is in the southwest of Anqing City, Anhui Province today. This is a small village near Wankou Town, near the Yangtze River. He wrote a poem in Jinglansha. The first two sentences are:
The rain at dusk falls in the village by the river, and the greenwood vendors only know it at night.
It began to rain in Mao Mao at dusk. When we arrived at a village by the river, a group of people suddenly came and blocked their way. They were fugitives. At that time, Li photographed a buddhist nun and wanted to stay. Before the ship landed, she was stopped by a group of robbers and asked him to stay and buy the fare. Buddhist nun said, this is Mr. Li She. When the robber heard that he was Li She and a poet. I asked: Are you really Li She who writes poems? I've heard a lot about you. Since you are Li She, I won't rob you. Write me a song. So, Li she wrote a poem, the last two sentences are:
He doesn't have to run away from his first name and surname. Now there is half a king in the world.
I don't have to be anonymous in the coming year, because now half the people in the world are like you, and they will meet people like you wherever they go. Another explanation is that there is no need to remain anonymous in the future. There are many robbers in the world, but you are all right.
The robber was very happy when he got the poem written by Li She. Instead of robbing him of his things and money, he sent a lot of things to Li She. You are a great poet. This is a little gift from me. Please accept it as a souvenir.
In the Tang Dynasty, the whole society respected poetry, understood its value and respected poets. Therefore, in such a big environment, everyone loves to write poems, and it is difficult for Tang poetry to be good or bad.
(unfinished)
Mo Lifeng, male, 1949 was born in Wuxi, Jiangsu Province in April. He is a professor and doctoral supervisor at the College of Arts of Nanjing University and a senior professor of humanities and social sciences at Nanjing University. 1984 10 obtained the doctor of literature degree from Nanjing University, and was the first doctor of literature in New China.