Shimazaki Fujimura is a Japanese modern romantic poet well known to Chinese readers. His works speak directly from the heart, boldly praise the lofty ideals longed by Japan's modern progressive intellectuals, and ruthlessly lash out at the darkness and injustice of the society at that time. His immortal works have a profound impact on future generations.
This poem uses evergreen trees that are evergreen all year round to symbolize ideals and an immortal enterprising spirit. It sings and praises the immortality and eternity of this indomitable spirit in the face of adversity, which is also the theme of this poem.
At the beginning of this poem, the poet uses a preemptive approach to directly reveal the theme of praise. Then, the ruthless natural laws such as the change of seasons and the blooming and falling of flowers are used to highlight the greatness of evergreen trees that are evergreen all year round and never wither. At the same time, the poet empathizes with the poem and expresses his sigh for the evergreen tree, an immortal symbol. While praising the elegance and integrity of the evergreen trees, why do we suddenly sigh "Oh, you are so tragic"? This is the poet's wonderful pen. That is to say, foreshadowing and suspense are set up at the beginning of the work, making people think and ponder the ill-fated fate of this extraordinary symbol. Then the poet laid out his thoughts and expressed his infinite emotion about the ruthlessness of the years and the fleeting spring when all the flowers are blooming and all things are full of vitality. Spring passes and summer comes, summer passes and autumn comes, flowers and leaves fall, and what follows is the harsh winter with howling wind and snow. The passage of time is so ruthless. Nature has lost its former splendor in an instant, and everything has become desolate and lonely. Since nature is like this, what about the human world? Here, the poet places his affection on things, hinting at the glimmer of freedom that appeared in the sky in the early Meiji period, and the sad and tearful historical fact that he was strangled and swallowed up by the dark clouds and fog of the authoritarian system in his infancy. .
The blue bird of freedom and democracy had been imprisoned in the barriers of feudal traditional consciousness before Japan's Meiji Restoration. With the success of the Restoration, Western ideas of freedom, democracy, and fraternity poured into Japan, which was forced to open its doors. Japan's progressive intellectuals were overjoyed to see rain after a long drought. They thought they had finally arrived at the longed-for dawn, but they did not expect that the stubborn feudal forces would strangle it in the cradle. The harsh reality made them change from excitement to sadness, and from progress to depression. The long days and nights loom overhead again. However, the poet Shimazaki Fujimura, who was deeply inspired by Western progressive ideas, had a unique insight and felt the vitality of spring in the dull and suffocating winter fog. He foresees that spring will not be far away. He wants to awaken the people with poetry and tell them that truth will never die and ideals cannot be lost. They should learn from the spirit of evergreen trees and face the world with a proud attitude regardless of seasons and changes in the world. .
"Stand tall, the proud emperor in the wilderness, / stand tall, the majestic evergreen!" When the poem is written here, the poet's emotions reach a climax. He loudly declared that life cannot be without ideals, and warned people, "Without your evergreen green, / the mountains will also lose their youth / without your deep breathing, / the valleys will also be silent."
In this article At the end of the poem, the poet fully foresees that freedom, democracy and fraternity will never be smooth sailing. Perhaps one day the branches and leaves of the ordinary green tree will eventually wither, and one day its greenness of life will eventually fade away. Although this is its sadness, its spirit is immortal. Even if it withers one day, it should and we should always be proud of its indomitable spirit. Because it has once stood tall and straight, and has withstood the baptism of time and the test of severe winter! Here, the poet should follow the foreshadowing laid in the previous chapter. It points out that the body of ideals and truth will never die, and its spirit will last forever.