Tao Yuanming has made great achievements in many aspects, such as poetry, prose and ci-fu, but poetry has the greatest influence on later generations. There are more than 120 poems written by Tao Yuanming, with diverse themes, the most important of which are pastoral poems and poems chanting for the bosom. Tao Yuanming lived in the countryside within a hundred miles of Fiona Fang for the rest of his life. He often contacts with villagers in the fields, talks about rice, wheat and Sang Ma, and lives a plain and natural life like a poor man. Long-term rural life practice provides an inexhaustible source for his poetry creation. In this way, describing nature with rural life and rural scenery as important aesthetic objects has become the main theme of Tao Yuanming's poems. "Nature" is not only the purport of Tao Yuanming's life, but also the overall artistic feature of his poems. He writes poetry without seeking fame. Every time he feels something in his life, he resorts to pen and ink, which is neither melodramatic nor pretentious. He said: "I often amuse myself by writing articles, which shows my ambition." Forget the gains and losses, and it's over. "(Biography of Mr. May 6th) said again;" After drunkenness, the number of questions is self-entertaining, and there is more paper and ink. "(Introduction to Drinking) This shows his creative attitude. The rhythm of Tao poetry is slow and steady, giving people a kind feeling. Shi Tao frankly recorded the subtle waves in his heart with introspective words. Without momentum, eloquent power and magnificent atmosphere, it slowly permeated the readers' hearts like spring rain. His poems do not pursue strong stimulation, strong color, tortuous structure and are purely natural and magical. However, due to his lofty personality and profound life experience, as long as it is written truly, it is very infectious. As Huang Che, a scholar in the Ming Dynasty, said, "Those who have far-reaching influence because of their profound knowledge have no intention of disrespect and are clever." ① The artistic features of Tao Yuanming's poems can be summarized as follows:
First, see the police in the plain, and see the beauty in the simple. Predecessors often like to use "plain and simple" to summarize the style of Tao poetry, which is good. However, Tao poetry is not only plain, but also has the advantage of warning the world in plain; Tao poetry is not only simple, but also beautiful in simplicity. The objects described in Tao's poems are often the most common things, such as cottages, chickens, dogs, bean sprouts, Sang Ma, mean streets, etc. Besides, in principle, it's nothing strange. It is difficult for us to find strange images, exaggerated techniques, gorgeous rhetoric and even adjectives in Tao's poems. Everything is plain, plain, plain. But if it is just plain, it will not produce strong artistic charm. The advantage of Tao poetry lies in its plain appearance, which contains fiery thoughts and feelings and rich flavor of life. This is just like Tao Yuanming. Therefore, Tao poetry is meaningful to read, and the more you read it, the more beautiful it is.
1. Fresh brushwork. This is in sharp contrast to the metaphysical poems popular in the poetry circles at that time, which are vague, obscure and tasteless. Tao Yuanming's description of pastoral landscapes never pursues gorgeous language and superficial modeling, but is casual, fresh and natural, with infinite charm. Try a passage from the poem "Encouraging Agriculture".
My heart is ringing, and I am afraid of the original land. Flowers and trees are flourishing, and the wind is clear and the gas is positive.
Both men and women are competing with the times. Mulberry girls have fun at night, and farmers stay in the wild.
In the beautiful Yuan Ye in spring, flowers and trees are in full bloom, and every spring is warm. Farmers and women go to the fields to catch up with the busy farming season. Women go to pick mulberry early in the morning, and farmers simply spend the night in the fields. What is presented here is a peaceful and happy picture of farming, which is actually the result of beautifying the characteristics of closed and self-sufficient rural areas in China: farming was originally very hard, but in the author's view, it was beautiful, fresh and natural, which also reflected Tao Yuanming's simple and natural temperament. The poem "Returning to the Garden" enjoys a long reputation and has similar characteristics:
Little is not suitable for vulgar rhyme, and there are few hills for sex. Mistaken into the dust net for thirty years.
Catch birds and love the old forest, and think about the past in the pond. I want to open up wasteland in Minamino and keep my humility to the fields.
The house is surrounded by about ten acres of land, thatched cottages. Willow trees cover the eaves, and peach trees cover Li Lieman in front of the hospital.
Warm trees in the distance, smoke in the yiyi market. Several dogs barked in the alley, and the mulberry tree was barked by a rooster.
There is no dust and sundries in the yard, and the quiet room is comfortable and leisurely. Trapped in a cage without freedom for a long time, I finally returned to the forest today.
This poem is about a year after Peng was dismissed from his post and returned to the field, vividly expressing Tao Yuanming's happy mood of escaping from the cage, gaining freedom and returning to rural life. He finally broke free from the "dust net" and took a long, happy breath, just like the bird returned to the forest and the fish returned to the deep pool. The poet took pains to list the scenery, "How many acres of land there are, how many trees there are in the house, how many kinds of flowers there are, what color is the smoke near the distant village, where chickens crow and dogs bark, and how many details are trivial" (2), vividly showing the poet's incomparable joy of getting rid of the secular and returning to nature. The scenery is written in the middle paragraph, and the light pen and ink of the following four sentences "Fang Zhai" outline the simplicity and beauty of your residence; "It's warm in a distant village, and there is smoke in a market in Iraq", and the sight turns to the distance, which makes the whole picture present a leisurely, empty, quiet and peaceful charm. The description of these scenes is full of the poet's cordial attachment to the countryside. It is this that the author regards it as the opposite of the dirty and noisy officialdom-the so-called "cage"-to express his social ideal and life concept. Ending the "nature" of "returning to nature" is not only the natural environment, but also the natural life.
2. Delicate description. Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems are rooted in rural life, and his personal feelings about rural life are integrated into his poems. Under his delicate description, the most common grass and trees show infinite vitality and form a beautiful pastoral picture. We look at his poems:
Alone in a sense of loss, I returned to my hometown with a staff member. The road was bumpy and in shock. The mountain stream is shallow and meets my feet.
Filter out the new wine at home and cook chicken for the neighbors. When the sun sets, the candle is lit instead.
The height is high and the height is short, and the east is getting white. ("Return to the Garden" Part V)
The meaning of the poem is: come back from the rugged mountain road with crutches, and wash your feet in the mountain stream first. Then pour a pot of wine, kill a chicken, invite neighbors and have a few drinks. When the sun goes down, I light it with a torch, but I hate that the night is too short. Once some ordinary things are touched by poets, they have such a taste of life and are so poetic. This poem shows a strong feeling of life and shows Tao Yuanming's keen observation of rural beauty and rural life. He is good at choosing poetic themes and giving people beautiful enjoyment through delicate descriptions. "This poem is not unique, it is a painting and a preface." ③
As a part of natural life, Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems also describe a lot of agricultural labor; During his retirement, he also participated in farming. What is the significance of his manual labor in his economic life? This is limited. Labor is not easy for a scholar-bureaucrat and an intellectual, but the poet has realized that labor is necessary. He has feelings for the life of farming and often contacts with farmers:
Life belongs to the Tao and food and clothing are solid. Don't camp, protect yourself.
In spring, I try to do business, and my working years are considerable. Be diligent in the morning and return it during the day.
There are two buildings in the mountains, and the atmosphere is cold first and then hot. Isn't Tian Jia bitter? It is difficult to resign.
Four-body sincerity is fatigue, and ordinary people are no different from doing it. ("September Westfield Early Rice Harvest")
Self-cultivation and self-reliance are ideal social and personal lifestyles. Although the poet can't actually do this-"beans are planted at the foot of the southern mountain, and the grass is full of beans, and the seedlings are sparse"-he tried, which is very remarkable. At the same time, his poems also wrote about the hardships of manual labor and the psychological peace and happiness brought about by it.
3. Plain language. Tao Yuanming's poems can be passed down through the ages, which has a lot to do with the simplicity of his language. Tao Yuanming's unique life experience, simple rural life and simple rural scenery require the use of simple language and painting techniques similar to "Tianjiahua" as much as possible, thus forming a plain and natural style of rural poetry, and achieving the artistic effect of "one word is natural and meaningful, and extravagance is exhausted" (Yuan Haowen's Thirty Poems). Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems have a strong flavor of peasant life and also reflect the poet's own character. Try his second poem Migration:
There are many beautiful days in spring and autumn, and new poems are written on the mountain. It's better to call each other after crossing the door, so there's wine to consider.
Farming goes back to hometown, and leisure needs acacia. Acacia put on her clothes and laughed endlessly.
This truth is invincible, and inaction will come to this place at once. Remember to have enough food and clothing and try not to be bullied by me.
Poetry and wine blend, get together and laugh, broker food and clothing, and don't forget to work hard. The dull country life is so poetic in his works. Instead of lettering, cutting clouds and embroidering the moon, he wrote it truthfully with simple colloquial sentences. His poems look unpretentious, but they are catchy to read. For example, "Although the territory is far away, good and evil will eventually be new." Although I didn't measure my length of service, I was satisfied with many things. "With simple and refined language, the natural scenery is vividly described. Reading this poem seems to present a vast field, with cool breeze, green crops rippling and full of business.
Another example is "antique":
When it rained in mid-spring, it began to thunder in the east corner. Everyone is lurking, and everything is suitable.
Yan, the new arrival, both of them came into my house. The first nest is still there, and Xiang will return to his former residence.
That door has been abandoned since we broke up. My heart is solid. What's your opinion?
Spring has come, and the swallows have all returned to their huts. Over the past year, my family has become poorer and poorer, but I still insist on living in poverty and seclusion. Some friends don't understand their attitude and persuade them to be officials again and again. However, the swallows came dancing, and they didn't dislike their lair and the poor man at all. It seems that the swallow is asking the poet: Is my heart firm? This poem is like a beautiful fairy tale. Its language is plain, simple and natural, but interesting. There are many similar examples, such as: "All birds like to be entrusted, and I love my family." (One of Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas) "I have no hope in my ears, but my eyes are pure" ("I am working with my brother in mid-December"), and the gentle beauty of snow is written in ten plain words.
Su Shi summed up this feature of Tao poetry as "quality and reality, wealth and reality". The language of Tao Shi's poems is not untested, but shows no trace and appears plain and natural. As Yuan Haowen said: "A word is natural and eternal, and it is extravagant." For example, "encourage in time, time waits for no one." ("Miscellaneous Poems III") "Love Lin in front of the hall, and store the shadow in the middle building." The words "Dai", "Tou" and "Chu" are all common verbs, which seem plain but wonderful, and can't be simpler.
Second, the artistic realm of blending emotion, scenery and reason. In poetry creation, it is very important to integrate emotion, scenery and reason, and emotion is the most important. Without emotion, the scenery is lifeless, and without emotion, the truth is even more vague. If there is no strong emotional infiltration, the scenery and truth will lose the vitality of the work. In dealing with this relationship, Shi Tao reached a higher artistic level.
1. Tao Yuanming's works not only have the simple and natural characteristics mentioned above, but also write some poems that involve real politics or directly express strong inner feelings. For example, the poem "Drinking Wine" is obscure, but its content is related to some political events in the Jin and Song Dynasties, so there is no doubt. Another example is "A Long History for Sheep", which is very happy to have the 13-year Northern Expedition to Chang 'an in Song Wudi and Yixi. "Sages leave marks, everything in the capital, or forget to swim, not more than GuanHe. The nine realms have just merged into one, and death will manage the boat. " It embodies the distinct national feelings. In addition, several articles in Jing Ke Fu and Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas never give up on some heroic images in history and myths and legends, expressing sympathy, admiration and praise despite failure, with a generous and tragic style. At the end of Ode to Jing Ke, they said, "I'm sorry my swordsmanship is not good, but I can't make strange moves." Although he is dead, he has been in love for a thousand years! "It clearly reveals the passion in the poet's heart. Another example is an article in Reading Shan Hai Jing:
The Jingwei contains tiny pieces of wood, which are used to fill the sea. Xingtian United and danced, aiming high.
Similarly, all beings have no residual sorrow, become foreign bodies and have no remorse. The past that has just been fixed in my heart, good morning can wait!
Jing Wei is a humble bird, but he has the ambition to fill the sea. The stars and the sky broke their heads and resisted, all showing the great spirit of not giving in to fate. The last two sentences are not only about Jingwei and Xingtian, but also about myself: Although there was Mr. Thank you in the past, I didn't have time to fulfill my wish! The factual background of these poems cannot be proved conclusively, but at least it shows that Tao Yuanming still yearns for a strong and productive life in seclusion. Mr. Lu Xun once pointed out that Tao poetry has both a "quiet" and a "carefree" side, and it also has a "king kong glare" side, mainly referring to these works. ⑤ Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas is the representative work of Tao's poetry, which is deeply affectionate.
2. The birds, animals, flowers and landscapes in Tao's poems all contain strong thoughts and feelings. His poems don't mean to imitate mountains and rivers, and they don't care about similarities or dissimilarities, but only write about a world in his chest. Shi Tao's poetry is based on things, scenery and feelings, and is dominated by reason. The new seedlings spreading their wings at the foot of Nanshan Mountain, the moon returning from weeding with him, the smoke curling up, Chun Yan, who returned to his lair because of the destruction of his family, the shady forest in front of the hall in midsummer, the piano on the bed, the muddy wine in the pot, and the pine trees, autumn chrysanthemums, solitary clouds and birds that often appear in his works are all unusual things. They are both objective and concrete.
Quasi-Elegy (Part III) is also a masterpiece of situational theory.
Weeds are wild and poplars rustle. In mid-September, severe frost sent me out of the outer suburbs.
No one lives on all sides, and the high graves wither. Ma Xiaotian, the wind is depressed.
Once the secluded room is closed, it will not be seen for a thousand years, and there is nothing the sage can do. Always giving people away,
Go back to their home. Relatives or sorrows, others have also sung. What's the way to die?
It's still that mountain.
The author of this poem is looking forward to the funerals of his relatives and friends. The first two sentences are inspiring, and "weeds" and "poplars" set off a sad atmosphere, pointing out that the time is autumn and September is late autumn, which has already frosted. Get up early and say that everyone has to die, and no one can escape. However, the death of a person has little influence on the living, so don't be too persistent: don't say anything when you are dead. The last two sentences end with logical words, which dominate the whole poem. Death is a great puzzle of human beings, which is explored in a poem by Tao Yuanming. The greatest feature of this poem is that it is good at describing the scenery and setting off the depressed atmosphere. However, he consoled himself with broadmindedness, showing Tao Yuanming's always approachable outlook on life, which is also an elegant ending.
Representative poems of the same kind include Return to the Garden (III):
I planted beans at the foot of Nanshan, and the weeds in the field were covered with peas. Get up early in the morning to get rid of weeds, and come back with hoes in the moonlight at night.
The narrow path covered with vegetation, the night dew wet my clothes. It's not a pity to get wet, but I hope it won't be against my will.
This poem describes the hardships of growing beans in Nanshan. The phrase "beans are planted in Nanshan, the grass is full of beans, and the seedlings are sparse" summarizes the initial situation of returning to the field. Beans are planted in Nanshan, and the seedlings don't grow well because of neglect of farming. It seems to contain the author's helplessness and self-ridicule, which shows the author's openness. Mowing the grass in the morning, and returning home at the height of the moon, it is inevitable that "the grass is full of beans and the seedlings are sparse", which shows the negligence of farming. The first four sentences are narratives and allusions. "Biography of Yang Hanyun": "The field is in the south of the mountain, and the pollution is not cured. Plant a hectare of beans and they will be preserved. When do you need to eat, drink and be merry in life? " The author walked on the path stepped out of the farmland, and his clothes were soaked with lush vegetation and dew. These two sentences are too vivid to be described by close people. Initially farming, although hard, the results are not good, but still eager to finally see something. This is not something that parents and farmers can't distinguish. This song is all realistic. After reading it, the image of a hermit who experienced farming life for the first time jumped in front of readers. Su Dongpo, a great poet in the Song Dynasty, was full of praise for this poem, saying, "Look at this poem, it has profound meaning and is in harmony with the emperor. Hey! There are many people who are ashamed of the morning dew. " The poem clearly describes rural life and physical labor, but it is actually singing one's own life ideal; Ming's description of rural scenery is actually an expression of the author's own feelings, that is, his love for quiet, peaceful and natural rural life and his rejection of dirty and hypocritical upper class.
3. Shi Tao is good at combining emotion with reason, visualizing his deep understanding of life and reality, and closely combining poetry with philosophy and scenery, giving people a fresh and natural feeling. Come on, it's cold. At this time, my old relatives will send me to the cemetery outside the village. Looking around, there is no one to live in, and there are only graves. In the desolate and empty cemetery, the horse felt uncomfortable when he saw success, and his voice screamed across the sky, feeling that the wind was extremely depressed. When the coffin goes down to the grave, once the tomb door is closed, the sunshine on earth will never be seen again for thousands of years. How pathetic! However, no matter a wise man or a fool, it is inevitable. The people who sent them quickly returned to normal life, and relatives or others were mourning. Ordinary people have been singing on the road for a long time. Death is nothing!
And look at "drinking" (5):
Building a house is human, and there are no horses and chariots. What can you do? Far from being self-centered,
Picking chrysanthemums under the east fence, you can see Nanshan leisurely. The mountains are getting better every day, and the birds are back.
It was really intentional. I forgot to say it.
The first four sentences talk about the relationship between "mind" and "land", that is, the relationship between subjective spirit and objective environment. As long as the mind is far away, no matter where it is, it will not be disturbed by the noise of dust and customs. "Picking chrysanthemums under the east fence, you can see Nanshan leisurely." Even the first stroke, my heart calmly met the mountain, and I seemed to be integrated with Nanshan. The mountain breeze in the evening and the returning birds form a wonderful scenery in their hearts, which contains the true meaning of life. Although it is clearly stated in the poem that "I want to argue, but I have forgotten the words", if we examine it in connection with other works of Tao Yuanming, the life truth implied by a series of images in this poem can still be explored. The eternity of Nanshan, the atmospheric beauty of the mountains and the freedom of birds not only reflect the greatness, perfection and richness of nature, but also feel the accident of their own lives in self-sufficiency. What else can you pursue? So this poem is still the ideal sustenance of Tao Yuanming's life, but it is different. Of course, this outlook on life in poetry is only a poetic and philosophical yearning. Because people can't get rid of the pursuit of self-realization on a certain object, nor can they get rid of the contradiction of real interests. But as a philosophical reflection on life, it is valuable; As the essence of poetry, it brings unique effects. To sum up, Tao Yuanming's social outlook and outlook on life are all centered on "nature". The society he yearns for is peaceful, self-sufficient, self-sufficient, without competition, hypocrisy, mutual oppression and harm, and the life he pursues is simple and sincere, indifferent to lofty ideals, entrusted with transportation and without external requirements; His favorite living environment is also a quiet and natural country. Because of these pursuits, most of his pastoral poems can reflect the instantaneous induction between the heart and the environment, which is unforgettable through infinite pleasure. As "A Thousand Girls in Ancient Learning" said, "If there are chrysanthemums in the fence, I will pick them. If I pick it, there will be no chrysanthemums in my heart. See the beauty of Nanshan in the evening, and return to the same place with the birds. Mountain flowers and birds talk, occasionally opposite, a machine, naive. No name, no words, who can tell. " We can't say that the poem "Drinking" (No.5) is an idyllic poem, nor can we say that it is a poem about nostalgia, because the scenery, emotion and reason in the poem blend together, penetrate each other and set off each other. No matter from which angle you appreciate it, you can appreciate different wonders and enjoy endless beauty.
From the origin of poetry, Tao Yuanming inherited Ruan Ji. This is mainly manifested in his poems expressing deep feelings, expressing his exploration of life and using philosophical observation. On the other hand, Tao poetry is obviously influenced by metaphysical poetry. This is not only reflected in many metaphysical words in his poems, in his plain language style, but also in his understanding of the relationship between man and nature. In Ruan Ji's poems, there is a great deal of contrast between the eternity of nature and the shortness of life, and people are strongly oppressed in front of nature; However, in the metaphysical poems of the Eastern Jin Dynasty, it was transformed into people's understanding and pursuit of nature. By Tao Yuanming, the concept of naturalization was put forward more clearly, and the consciousness of harmony between man and nature became the decisive factor of Tao's unique artistic conception. Of course, Tao poetry attaches importance to expressing philosophy through artistic images rather than abstract language, which is essentially different from the plainness of metaphysical poetry. Tao Yuanming's great contribution in the history of poetry development lies in that he has created a new aesthetic field and a new artistic realm. Although ordinary metaphysical poets pay attention to understanding philosophy from the investigation of nature, resulting in the bud of landscape poetry, but no one illuminates ordinary villages. It is only in Tao Yuanming's works that rural life and rural scenery are regarded as important aesthetic objects for the first time, thus opening up a unique world for future generations. He regards agricultural labor as a natural way of life and praises the beauty contained in labor, which is also a profound discovery. Tao Yuanming's artistic features have long been evaluated by predecessors, calling them simple, natural and sincere. But this is not a folk song, nor is it a style influenced by folk songs, but the poet's conscious aesthetic pursuit. Fundamentally speaking, this is also determined by Tao Yuanming's "natural" philosophy. In his view, man-made complex etiquette destroys the naturalness of society, and pretentious behavior destroys the naturalness of human nature. Then, excessive pursuit of external poetic form will inevitably destroy the naturalness of feelings. Therefore, Tao Yuanming seldom uses rich colors, exaggerated intonation, abstruse vocabulary and allusions. His poems often use antithesis, but most of them are primitive and not so delicate that they are not obvious. His poems are full of emotion, but they are really strong and appear surging. But combined with calm philosophical thinking, it presents a clear and distant artistic conception. This aesthetic realm is unprecedented, and there is no one after it. Furthermore, the simplicity of Shi Tao's words is not random, not processed, but highly refined, washing away all miscellaneous and sticky components, and then showing a clear simplicity. Tao Yuanming's literary achievements, especially his pastoral poems, have been the focus of people's research for thousands of years. His pastoral poetry has its social and cultural background, which reflects the rich content of social life, and also reflects the ideological contradiction between his official and seclusion, his hope and disappointment, and his pain and joy. This shows the complex thoughts and feelings of feudal intellectuals who were born in troubled times and didn't get their talents. Even after they retired, they didn't forget politics and didn't really settle down. His poems are plain, simple, natural, simple and tasteful, and his language is true, simple, concise, clear, popular, refined and easy to understand. At that time, when the sculptor was lofty, the pursuit of form and the popularity of lovers, he rose suddenly and created a lot of simple, beautiful, vivid and emotional works, which was of great progressive significance. His poems are full of strong emotions and scenes blend, reaching a harmonious unity of scenes blend and opening up a new realm of classical poetry.
Note: ① Cite the book Xi Shi Yu, Volume 5.
② Quoted from Tao Shi Jie.
(3) quoted from the Qing dynasty's "Zhao Mei" volume four.
④ Quoted from Su Shi's Book with Su Zhe.
⑤ Quoted from Yuan Haowen's On Poetry.
⑥ Lu Xun's "Two Articles on Jiejie Pavilion, Six Questions Undetermined" said: "... guests praised Mr. Tao Qian for picking chrysanthemums under the east fence and seeing Nanshan leisurely. ... and "jingwei holds the micro-wood and will fill the sea; Xingtian's dance is dry and sad, and his fierce ambition is always' King Kong glaring', which proves that he is not outside the clouds all day and all night. "
References:
(1) The History of China Literature, edited by Luo and Zhang, Fudan University Press, 1 April 19971edition.
(2) The History of China Literature by You Guoen, People's Literature Publishing House, 199 1 edition.
③ Selected Literary Works of China in Past Dynasties, edited by Zhu Dongrun, Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 1980 edition.
(4) The History of China Literature Development by Sister Liu, Shanghai Ancient Books Publishing House, 1982.
(5) China Ancient Literature Reader Education Science Press 1984 (co-editor).
(6) History of Ancient Chinese Literature (1) edited by Luo Zongqiang and Chen Hong, published by East China Normal University, 2000.
(7) Guo Jianping's Interpretation of Tao Yuanming's Collection: Shanxi Ancient Books Publishing House, 1 Edition, September 2004.