Appreciation of the ancient poem "Jianghan"
From "Jianghan" by Du Fu, a poet of the Tang Dynasty
Jianghan misses returning guests, and there is only one corrupt scholar in the world.
The clouds in the sky are far away, and the moon is alone at night.
My heart is still strong when the sun sets, and the autumn wind is about to revive me.
In ancient times, there was no need to travel long distances to save old horses.
Appreciation
This poem was written by Du Fu when he was fifty-seven years old. In the first month of the third year of the Dali calendar (768), Du Fu left Kuizhou and traveled to Jiangling, Public Security and other places in Hubei. At this time, Du Fu had gone through many hardships and had no hope of returning to the north, and his life was becoming increasingly difficult. Du Fu was deeply moved by his long-term wandering, so he wrote this poem.
The first couplet uses a self-deprecating way to describe the poet's dilemma of being stranded in Jianghan. Thinking of returning home means that the poet wanted to return to his hometown but could not, so he had to wander around the world. It contains the infinite poignancy of the poet.
The second couplet is a description of the natural scenery in front of you. It literally describes the clouds and moon that the poet saw, but actually uses them as a metaphor for the poet himself. The poet integrated his inner feelings into the external scenery, feeling that although he was wandering around, his loyalty to the country was still as bright as the lonely moon.
The third couplet uses metaphorical techniques to describe the poet's mental state of being ambitious despite being in adversity. The setting sun faces the autumn wind. The former is a fictional representation, a metaphor for old age, while the latter is a literal representation. Living in Jianghan, facing the howling autumn wind, the poet not only lost the sentimental feelings of the past, but also felt sick. This change is a reflection of the poet's ambitious mentality and positive spirit of using the world.
The last couplet borrows from the allusion of an old horse knowing the way. The poet compares himself to an old horse, intending to show that he is not useless. Although he is old and sick, he still has wisdom to use and can still make a difference.
The whole poem uses euphemistic and implicit techniques, which fully expresses the poet's psychological state of becoming stronger and more ambitious as he grows older.