First, Han Yu's pursuit of humor
The word "humor" was first used by Qu Yuan's "Humor and Humor" in Nine Chapters of Huaisha (Wang Siyuan's Notes on Songs of the South), but it means silence here. At present, humor is commonly used in English translation, which was introduced by Lin Yutang in 1924. In On Humor, Lin made an incisive analysis of the nature and types of humor and the humor in China's literature. He thinks it is a profound and detached sympathy and a sense of * * *, which can relieve tension and make people smile. "Gentle and polite, respectful and reassuring, nothing, nothing, close to a truly humorous attitude." (Essays of the ninth volume of Lin Yutang's collected works, Writers Publishing House, 1996 edition) Although humor was introduced late, it was not lacking in China's literary tradition, but it only adopted other rhetorical devices. For example, in the biography of Han Dong Fangshuo, it is said that "his words are only business, his meaning is dissolute, and he is quite humorous" (Han Shu). Judging from Dong Fangshuo's words and deeds, the humor here is obviously what we call humor now. In fact, words such as "humor", "humorous laugh" and "parody" are often used in Han Yu's poems.
Han Yu, whose responsibility is to inherit orthodoxy, presents a defender in most occasions and creations. However, after drinking wine, or in leisure time, when his true nature is revealed, his humor will be revealed. Drunk: "The brilliant star of the East, so many guests are drunk. At first, it was noisy or angry, quiet or ridiculous. Drop your clothes and twist your writing. Life is so little, and wine is diligent. " (Annotations on Han Changli's Chronology of Poems, Volume IV, hereinafter referred to as Poems) Poems are written about the happy time of drinking. There may be emotional disputes at the beginning of the banquet, and when it is hearty, it is just fun. In Han Yu's eyes, banter became the main content and feature of the banquet. Written in the eighth year of Yuanhe, "Late Autumn Yancheng Night Banquet Couplet" has a humorous feast exhibition and is generously dressed. In the words of "beheading a horse" (Book of Songs, Volume 10), the poet regards "humor" as the opposite of "generosity", which is necessary for a banquet. Perhaps we can get a glimpse of the truth from "Drunk to Secretary Zhang": "Therefore, if you want to get wine, you should be drunk in the text. This wine tastes cold and fragrant. The temperament is getting wider and wider, and Fang laughs harmoniously. This is sincere and the rest is colorful. " (Book of Songs, Volume IV) The poem describes the "drinking words" between Han Yu and cutie, and between Meng Jiao and him, saying that people are in high spirits and joking when they are drunk, which helps to write poems and get the true meaning of wine. Accordingly, it is the internal logic of Han Yu's pursuit of humor to indulge in wine for fun and joke as poetry.
In fact, it is not only his humor when he was drunk, but also Han Yu pays more attention to the humorous character of the tomb owner and the biography owner in his epitaph and recorded articles. For example, the inscription on Cui's tomb says: "Jun is afraid of Han, and it is clear that Boling Anping is a native ... he is a scholar. Write a five-character poem, filial, humorous and unrestrained; He is also good at drinking, and Jiangnan people swim from it. " Han Yu wrote an epitaph for Cui Han, saying that he was good at writing five-character poems and liked to talk and laugh with people without scruple in a teasing way, which won the admiration and love of Jiangnan people. Another example is Volume III of Records of Shunzong: "Recommend a word of filial piety, which represents Lu Ze who lives in Shenzhou. Zu Wencheng, a knowledgeable worker and humorous, entered the seventh literature class. It is recommended to be smart and remember that historical biographies are all related. " Han Yu said that Zhang Wencheng was knowledgeable, humorous and good at writing poems for Wen. Obviously, Han Yu regards humor as an important focus of biographies, and thinks that humor is an admirable quality to obtain good interpersonal relationships. Similarly, in these two examples, there is a very remarkable feature, that is, Han Yu associates humor with being good at writing words and poems.
The above-mentioned emphasis on banter in banquets is due to its contribution to poetry writing, and the emphasis on humor in character temperament is also due to its contribution to poetry writing. Moreover, Han Yu directly mentioned the relationship between humor and literary creation. "Soul Keeper": "Who is the enemy in war poems? Curses and anger. Drinking a hundred glasses of wine makes you smile more than fresh. Sometimes when I am drunk, I can sing clearly and softly. " (Book of Songs, Volume II) These poems are about the mad journey of a spiritual teacher who is drunk and teasing. The phrase "ridiculous thoughts are fresh" not only shows that the spiritual master is a man, but also points out that banter can bring new poetic thoughts. Of course, Han Yu's pursuit of humor in poetry creation has clear standards and guidance. Answer Zhang: "The master used to play a little, but the poem didn't say' Be good at joking, don't insult others too much'." "Ji" said: "Zhang does not relax, and the civil and military can't. "Evil is harmful to Tao?" (Collected Works, Volume II) Speak humorously, but don't be mean to others, and so is writing poetry. While pursuing humor, it should not be harmful to Confucianism's gentle way. This is what Lin Yutang called "integrity, courtesy" and a real humorous attitude. Liu Xie's Wen Xin Diao Long discusses the creative requirements of "harmony" style in the stylistic part, and there is a saying that "although the words fall back, the meaning returns to righteousness", so it is.
Han Yu has a clear sense of humor in his poetry creation. He appreciates the temperament and personality of humor, thinks that humor is helpful to the conception of poetry, and defines the application standard of humor, which also distinguishes humor from irony, ridicule and general humor to some extent. This can be better seen from Han Yu's poetry creation.
Second, the humorous style of Han Yu's poems
Humor is a kind of wisdom, a kind of wisdom that processes or destroys reality logically, and it conveys profound meaning through absurd and unexpected ways of thinking. According to Freud's theory, humor can release depressed thoughts and anxious emotions. As far as Han Yu's poems are concerned, humor is mainly manifested in humorous self-mockery, clever teasing and humorous conception.
Let's look at Han Yu's self-mockery first. In June of the first year of Yuanhe, Han Yu was called a doctor and wrote "Happy Hou Xi to Zhang Che" in Chang 'an: "When I was in the south, I thought about it. Suggest deep rocks and satirize the sun. If clothes are washed with cream, every stain will be over-dyed. Another example is a heart disease and a mistake. I always want to swim, and I am never tired of death. " (Book of Songs, Volume 4) The poet recalled his nostalgia for his friends during Yangshan, saying that he was fidgeting and kept chanting his friends' names day and night, just like a fish's mouth kept opening and closing on the water. Han Yu doesn't miss you like running water, nor does he worry about sending the moon. On the contrary, he compared himself to a fish that kept shaking its head. Huai Nan Zi said that "fishing in troubled waters" was actually a self-mockery of his own situation. Then, the poet compares missing to washing clothes with fat, and the more you wash, the stronger you get. He thinks this is a heart disease, and it can't be cured by medical stone. Another example is "A Village in the County", which begins with the lofty ambition of "being curious when young, and suffering all my life" and "looking at my career and despising Cao Xie", but ends with "loving the old peasants and fools, and returning to my daughter". Now, why not get married? Considering that this poem was written during the period of relegation to Yangshan, it is also quite self-deprecating. Han Yu lamented that time flies, and there are many poems with white sideburns, but they are not blindly depressed and sad, and there are also many self-deprecating works. "tooth loss":
I lost a tooth last year and a tooth this year. I suddenly fell to six or seven, but I haven't fallen down yet. The rest are shaken, and those that fall should be stopped. Recalling the first fall for a while, but it is shameful to think about it. When you fall to two or three, you are worried to death. Every time I fall, I will stay with myself. Fork teeth hinder food, and water rushes upside down. In the end, I will give up my life, which is better than the collapse of the mountain. Today, I am familiar with it. It is similar to seeing failure. There are more than twenty left. I know for the second time. When you are old, you will be self-sufficient for two generations. If it is empty, it also refers to gradual change. People talk, but life is hard to rely on. My life is limited, both length and length will die. People speak clearly and are shocked by nature. I said Zhuang, Mu Yan has his own happiness. The language is correct and silent, but the chewing is soft and beautiful. Because the song became a poem, I used my wife. (Poems, Volume II)
Teeth fall in the prime of life, which is the physical character of aging and depression, but the poet writes humorously. If you have more teeth, you will get used to it. Even if you lose one every year, you can persist for more than 20 years. People often say that losing teeth is a sign that life is short. Han Yu thinks that life is limited and you have to leave sooner or later. It is often said that it is unsightly to open your mouth. Han Yu believes that your teeth can't be opened, and each has its own advantages. Speaking without teeth is easy to corrupt, but silence is a good thing; You can't chew food without teeth, but it doesn't prevent you from tasting delicious food. Poetry shows a detached state of mind in dealing with tooth decay in the prime of life in natural lightness. Han Yu's self-mockery can often ease the tense mood and make the body and mind get poetic self-adjustment.
Secondly, Han Yu often teases his friends. "Send a self-taught teacher to john young": "Nothing is based on words, and the body has no courage. I have tasted difficulties, and I am brave. Dragons have horns and teeth and want to keep them for themselves. Ghosts are imprisoned in a secluded place and they attack the mysterious world. " (Book of Songs, Volume 7) praises Jia Dao's boldness in his poems, saying that he is bolder than his body, and dares to take a dragon in his hand and attack everything. "Listening to Ying Shi play the piano": "Since I heard Ying Shi play, I got up and sat down. In the panic, I reached out to block my chin, and tears had already poured into my eyes. Clever and sincere, there is no ice charcoal in my intestines. " (Book of Songs, Volume 9) Praise Ying Shi for his superb piano skills, but ask him to stop playing, because the ups and downs of the piano sound are like putting ice cubes and charcoal into my stomach, which makes me sad and happy, and I feel uneasy. Satire is full of fun here. Another example is "snoring and sleeping":
Even when sitting and lying down, I can't sleep steadily for a long time. I smell its voice and worry about its five hidden dangers. There are waterfalls in the Yellow River, and the stalks are clumsy. At the beginning of the Southern Emperor's struggle, we vented chaos. It's hard to understand such a long time. It is embarrassing to say that the words are unique. Weak throat, lush vegetation. Although the thief is cunning, the dead dare to peep. HarmonyOS system is always complicated and changeable. At first glance, it seems to be quarreling, and suddenly it seems to be complaining. Different shapes are bitter, and there is no way to find the root. How can you find its source? Only a little soil. (Poems, Volume 12)
At the beginning of the poem, it is pointed out that the object of ridicule is a sleeping teacher. In the middle, an extremely exaggerated metaphor is used, saying that his snoring is like the Yellow River Waterfall and the Southern Emperor's hammer. Sometimes he loses his voice, sometimes he bicks, and suddenly he cries, which can be described as strange and swaying. Finally, I asked myself how to stop snoring from the root, so I had to take a dustpan of soil to block its mouth. Han Yu's description of snoring not only won't make people feel that the teacher is ugly, but also outlines a character with free and easy temperament and awkward attitude. The whole poem is humorous and shows a different aesthetic feeling. It should be noted that the ridicule in these poems is different from the satirical "sending malaria ghosts" and "sending poverty", but a kind of praise ridicule, without losing the purpose of gentleness and gentleness.
Thirdly, Han Yu's poems are often full of humorous thoughts, which are embodied in the description of scenery, poems about objects and the communication with friends. "Hejiang Pavilion": "Hong Ting pillow Xiangjiang River, steamed water must be left. When you look at the sky, you can't spit on it. " (Book of Songs, Volume III) The first two sentences describe the geographical location of Hejiang Pavilion, and the second sentence says that looking down from the pavilion, the vision is open and wide, and the river is clear. However, the word "unpalatable" destroys the interest of this beautiful environment, and the unexpected wording makes readers laugh. Zheng Qun's Gift: "Who says an old friend knows what I mean? Eight feet with the wind. Call slaves to sweep the floor unfinished, Guanghua shines. The lateral-winged fleas of the green fly avoid lice, and Susu hates the breeze. I would like to sleep and heal, but I would like to be constant. " (Book of Songs, Volume IV) Han Yu was full of praise for the bamboo mat presented by Zheng Qun, saying that the young people who laid the mat marveled at its splendor, and flies and fleas were far away. I just hope it will continue to be hot, so that I can sleep on the bamboo mat for a long time. This poem is ingenious and imaginative. Bian He called it "humorous and interesting" (Han, Phoenix Publishing House, 20 14 edition). "Drunk Stay in Dongye": "Bow your head and worship Dongye, and hope for the end. Dongye doesn't look back, just like an inch hitting a giant clock. I would like to be a cloud and Dongye a dragon. The quartet chased Dongye up and down, although they did not leave. " (Book of Songs, Volume 7) Han Yu greatly praised Meng Jiao, but compared himself and Meng Jiao to flies and dragonflies without aesthetic feeling, only taking their appearance. Meng Jiao is gone forever, and to retain him is like beating a giant clock with a straw without making a sound. The use of the metaphors "flying" and "ringing the bell" is extremely strange and novel. In the aspect of scenery writing, there are virgin gorge that makes the sinister environment interesting, and there are cold food festival outings that reflect the contradictory relationship between people and the environment; In the aspect of chanting things, it is like "Three Sides", which is full of horns, mouths and drinks, and "Answer Liu Liuzhou to Eat Toad", which is full of scars, defeats and tastes; In terms of personnel acceptance, for example, answering a scholar to send a chicken to a tree, answering an eleventh house exercise with half frost and half hair, and even pushing the fate of heaven to comfort friends, Meng Dongye lost his son, mostly humorous.
In addition to the self-mockery and ridicule of harmony in the above-mentioned Korean poems, fable poems, poems of two birds, mountain fires of Lu soul, quatrains of Huangfu's family, messages of Lutong, Tiemu Jushi and so on. , but also shows some banter characteristics. These humorous works show readers an image of Han Yu, which is different from Confucianism and Taoism, and is more interesting, intelligent and connotative.
Third, Yangshan and the formation of Han Yu's humorous poetic style
As we all know, the formation of Han Yu's strange poetic style is closely related to the experience of relegating Yangshan. Moreover, Yangshan's relegation also contributed a lot to the creation of Han Yu's humorous poetic style. The poem "Luoya" mentioned earlier was compiled by predecessors in the 19th year of Zhenyuan. According to the book with Cui, Zhenyuan was demoted to Yangshan. In addition, during Yangshan period, he also created works full of self-mockery, such as Truth, Farewell, and Idle Zhai You Huai, which clearly put forward banter as poetry. , Hejiang Pavilion, Timur layman, eleven tribute Cao who answered Zhang, drunk, drunk to Zhang's secretary, gifts, a trip to the Cold Food Festival and a happy back seat were all given. The return of Yong Zhenyuan to the north made Han Yu's poetry creation enter an explosive period. The poems he wrote in more than one year are about equal to the sum of the previous 37 years, and a large number of works have tirelessly reviewed Yangshan's life. For example, on his way to Jiangling, he remembered that Yangshan had experienced "being in a foreign land, officials and people are like apes" (Volume III of Poetry, On the way to Jiangling, I gave gifts to Wang Twenty, Li Eleven, Li Twenty-six, Li Twenty-six, and the Third Bachelor of Hanlin). After passing through Zhong Nanshan, he also said that he was sent into exile the year before last, and we met each other in the calendar (Poems of Nanshan, Volume 4 of Biography of Poetry), but he still did not forget "Three years in the wilderness, staying in the county for a long time" (Farewell to WenYun North, Volume 4 of Biography of Poetry). It is in these works of Yangshan that Han Yu is shown. It can be said that the humor in Han Yu's poems germinated in Yangshan period, reached the realm of * * * when he returned to Chang 'an in the north, and continued into his later poetry creation.
Han Yu has a clear understanding and positioning of the changes in personal interests. On his way back to the North, he wrote "Four Records of Fighting in Yueyang Tower": "After today, you can roughly know the gains and losses. It's good to change the old things, and it's also interesting to harvest new things. Oath to plow ten acres of land instead of taking ten thousand times. A fine gentleman knows that silkworm weaving can reward young children. Business is crowned, life and death are a visit. " (Book of Songs, Volume III) It is said in the poem that "changing the old for the good" and "getting the new for the good" are generally related to personnel and storage, but it is not a simple change from "determined to be the overlord" to "swearing to plow ten acres of land". It is worth noting that "Xijun" is Dong Fangshuo's wife, and Han Yu's so-called "Xinshang" is actually considered by Dong Fangshuo's own situation. The experience of relegating Yangshan made Han Yu realize that being honest in words can't lead to a smooth career, but Dong Fangshuo's quick words and witty wisdom can be his spiritual therapy and comfort from setbacks. We can also see this from Han Yu's later humorous poems. For example, the "ice charcoal" in Listening to Shi Ying's Playing the Piano comes from Dong Fangshuo's Seven-character Poem, and the "loneliness" in Liu Shidong, a Jinshi, comes from Dong Fangshuo's Difficult to Answer, and the "squeaking chest" in Yuanhe Shengde Poetry is another example. Han Yu realized the change of his personality. Six years later, he wrote Drunk Stay in the East, calling himself "Han Zi is slightly treacherous". Although this change has not made Han Yu lose his nature of justice and guilt, it will undoubtedly plant a "humorous Dong Fangshuo" factor in the poet's mind, thus making the wind of humor emerge frequently in his poetry creation. In fact, predecessors have long known this. For example, Ouyang Xiu called it "laughing, joking, describing human feelings and material state, one is in poetry, and the other is wonderful" (June 1 poem). Zhu Yizun commented on "giving Zhang eighteen diseases" and also said "reading this, knowing the public, being good at teasing" (Korean poetry criticism).
If the general reflection on the relegation experience made Han Yu realize the importance of humor and flexibility, then Han Yu never found the answer to the specific reasons for Yangshan's relegation. "Yueyang Tower Farewell to Dou Sizhi": "The year before last was the most innocent disaster." (Book of Songs, Volume III) "On the way to Jiangling, I gave gifts to Wang Que and academician Li XXVI of Hanlin Foreign Court": "Why do you doubt yourself?" (Book of Songs, Volume III) "Recalling the Past Journey and Zhang Eleven": "I don't like it if I have no worries, but I am self-sufficient if I am kind." (Book of Songs, Volume III) Shunzong acceded to the throne, and there was an amnesty in the world. On the way back to Chang 'an from Yangshan North, Han Yu was still asking why he was demoted over and over again, but it could only be attributed to "an accident". This inexplicable experience of being demoted makes the poet feel helpless and helpless. Only by resorting to humorous self-mockery can he get rid of embarrassment, thus calming his excitement and returning to rationality. Han Yu's mockery of his body and situation can be seen in the aforementioned poems, such as Tooth Falling, County Zhaiyouhuai, and Xi Hou Xi's Return to the North and Giving Zhang Che. From a psychological point of view, humor is actually a psychological defense mechanism, which can relieve stress and overcome fear to a certain extent, thus making people feel comfortable and relaxed. This is how Han Yu settled down.
Of course, the natural environment of Yangshan cannot be ignored. "Under the Pear Blossom, Liu Shi gave a gift": "Today, I met Haitou, and I was shocked in the first month." (Book of Songs, Volume II) Apricot Blossom: "After two years of wandering in the mountains, there are many similarities and differences in the vegetation you see." (Book of Songs, Volume III) The unique scenery in Lingnan not only promoted Han Yu's curious and peculiar creative tendency, but also gave the poet a vision to find other interesting things from the things around him, such as the capture of Samsung's humorous characteristics in the above-mentioned trip to Samsung and the novel metaphor in the "Celebration of Hou". To sum up, the experience of unexpected demotion made Han Yu start to think about himself and his situation. The image of Dong Fangshuo provided a model for Han Yu's humorous pursuit, while the abnormal beauty of Lingnan scenery inspired Han Yu's creative method. As a result, the Pandora's Box containing humor factors such as self-mockery, ridicule and harmonious thinking of Han Yu was officially opened in Yangshan. However, just like Pandora quietly left "hope" in the box, Han Yu's humorous poetry style has always been adhering to the Confucian standard of "paying equal attention to kindness and prestige, being respectful and safe".
(Author: College of Literature, Jinan University)
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There are 10 volumes in the series of Perspective of Famous Artists, including Selected Poems (Yu Guanying and Wei), Selected Works of Han, Wei and Six Dynasties (Cao Daoheng), Selected Poems of Tang Dynasty (Huo), Selected Poems of Tang and Song Dynasties (Wu and Xiao Ruifeng), Selected Prose of Tang and Song Dynasties (Wang Shuizhao) and Selected Poems of Song Dynasty.
Editors are either academic leaders who know everything from ancient times to the present, or tycoons who specialize in one subject. For the purpose of promoting traditional culture, he gave full play to his professional expertise and carefully selected materials. Genre involves poetry, music and prose, which spans from pre-Qin to late Qing Dynasty. This arrangement not only reflects the overall development of China ancient literature, but also highlights the peak presentation of different styles in a specific era. Each volume is accompanied by a preface carefully written by the editor, which summarizes and comments on the development of a certain style in a specific period. In the text, each work is accompanied by the author's life, notes and comments to help readers better understand the work.
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