Many names of poets in the Tang Dynasty are related to "wine". For example: Wang Ji, known as "Mr. Drunken Yin"; Li Bai, known as "Jiu Xian"; Bai Juyi, known as "Mr. Drunk Drinking", etc.
It can be seen from this that poets in the Tang Dynasty were very addicted to alcohol. So why do they love wine so much? This article will analyze the purpose of their drinking. The author divides the purpose into two aspects: one is to drink to cheer up; the other is to drink to relieve sorrow.
1. Drinking alcohol to cheer up
What is “to cheer up”? The simple explanation is: "It helps to increase interest." There are many poems in "Three Hundred Tang Poems" that use wine to increase interest.
For example, Li Bai's "Going down Zhongnan Mountain and passing Husi Mountain, people stay and buy wine." " (The word "Hui", according to the note of "Book of Rites? Qu Ji": Shaking away the remaining wine in the cup is called "Hui", here it means drinking happily; Taoran refers to the state of harmony; Wangji refers to the state of harmony. Forget worldly gains and losses)
The poet drinks heavily when he is happy to express his inner peace. The final sentence "Tao Ran *** Wangji" points out the true meaning of the poem. This is when the poet faces the breeze and the bright moon, using wine to express his inner emotions.
Another example is Meng Haoran's "Autumn Climbs Ten Thousand Mountains and Sends Five Pieces" "Why should I bring wine to get drunk on the Double Ninth Festival." , talk about mulberry and hemp while drinking wine." Since both poems mentioned the "Double Ninth Festival", both poems are talking about chrysanthemum wine.
Although the overall tone of the two poems is slightly different, the thoughts and emotions expressed are similar. They are all poets who want to drink chrysanthemum wine and spend the Double Ninth Festival together with their friends to experience the peaceful and warm feeling. Perhaps, the wine at this time is just a medium, a medium that allows the poet and his friends to reunite. The mellow, warm and quiet emotions surging in it are all conveyed to each other in the process of changing glasses.
There are many poems similar to this type, such as Bai Juyi's "Ask Liu Nineteenth"; Meng Haoran's "Feasting with Plum Blossoms in the Taoist Mountain House" and so on.
So, why do poets use wine to entertain themselves? Exploring the reasons can be divided into two aspects: one is social factors; the other is the role of "wine".
(1) Social factors
The social factors here mainly explore the cupbearer of the Tang Dynasty and the trend of the times at that time.
First of all, fine wine was abundant in various places in the Tang Dynasty, but it was expensive. This has something to do with the cupbearer at that time. The Tang Dynasty liberalized the production and sales of wine, but at the same time it also imposed heavy taxes on operators. This resulted in the fact that although Tang Dynasty wine was extremely common, its price was relatively high. This was a problem for some poor scholars, but for many great poets of the Tang Dynasty who came from well-known families, it was not a problem. For poor scholars, they can also drink alcohol frequently. The reason is that poets in the Tang Dynasty had a higher social status, so they were often invited to banquets by dignitaries, taste fine wines, and recite poems; or like Wang Ji and Bai Letian, they made their own wine to reduce the cost of drinking. This laid an economic foundation for the poet to "use wine to entertain himself".
The above is an analysis of why the poets of the Tang Dynasty liked to "use wine to entertain themselves" from the perspective of the cupbearer of the Tang Dynasty. Next, we will analyze the reasons from the trend of the times at that time. The poets of the Tang Dynasty took "poetry and wine as a trend" as the trend of the times, and truly achieved the blend of poetry and wine, forming a unique culture in which there is no poetry without wine, and poetry must be accompanied by wine. This laid the social foundation for the poet to "use wine to entertain himself".
(2) The role of "wine"
This can also be analyzed in two points.
First, "wine" can be used as a medium to stimulate the poet's creativity. As Mr. Iseime said: "Wine can serve as a catalyst to bring people's emotions and thinking into a highly active state. Especially when they are slightly drunk, poets can produce unusual creative impulses and richness. The association makes the inspiration flow like a spring, and it is impossible to stop it." At this time, wine acts as a catalytic medium.
The second is that "wine" can express or slowly soothe their inner joy. In the poems mentioned above, the emotions conveyed in the poems are either comfortable and clear, or peaceful and quiet. But no matter which state it is, it is based on pleasure. From ancient times to the present, people's methods of expressing their pleasure are consistent. Nowadays, people may express their joy by singing, eating, etc.; while the ancients conveyed their joy by drinking. They all borrow something to express and soothe their inner happiness.