Not only is it a poem about snow, but it also needs to hit the mark with the word spring, so I start with the feeling of spring. For northerners, it is normal for them to be without youth in the New Year, but Han Yu, who has been to Lingnan, feels that spring comes late in the north, and the grass buds do not grow until February. However, the white snow refuses to leave just now, and it has to go through the courtyard. Falling into the trees and having fun with spring.
The poet drew on the meaning of Cen Shen's "Song of White Snow", and imagined snow as flowers, and further imagined snow as people. Even snow thinks that spring comes too late, so he wants to decorate people with some spring flowers. The poem is filled with a kind of joy that northerners feel when winter passes and spring comes, which is probably difficult for Lingnan people to experience.
This poem should be read in conjunction with "Two Poems from Zhang Shiba of the Ministry of Water in Early Spring" written eight years later. The white snow sprinkles flying flowers among the trees in front of the garden, just because it can't wait for the arrival of spring.
"Spring Snow" - Han Yu
The new year is not yet full of youth, and I was surprised to see grass buds in early February. The white snow is too late for spring, so it flies through the trees in the garden.
This poem "Spring Snow" is innovative in conception and unique in style. It is the best among Han Yu's poems.
"The New Year is not yet blooming, but we are surprised to see grass buds in early February." The New Year is the first day of the first month of the lunar calendar. This day is the beginning of spring, so it marks the arrival of spring. There are no fragrant flowers in the New Year yet, which makes people who have been looking forward to spring for a long time in the long cold winter extremely anxious. The word "du" reveals this eager mood.
The second sentence "I was surprised to see grass buds in early February" means that there are no flowers in February, but it is said from the side, and the feelings are not simply sighs and regrets. The word "surprise" is best played with. It does not seem to indicate that the poet was surprised and disappointed that the grass buds had just appeared in February, but that he was pleasantly surprised to finally see the buds of "spring" in anxious anticipation.
My inner feeling is: Although spring is belatedly coming, it is coming after all. The mood when "First Jing" wrote "seeing grass sprouts" is extremely expressive. The word "jing" expresses the feeling of novelty, surprise and joy after getting rid of the cold winter; the word "chu" expresses the regret, regret and dissatisfaction that spring comes too late and flowers bloom too late. However, this light emotion is hidden behind the poem and seems very subtle.
Han Yu once wrote in "Early Spring Presents the Water Ministry Zhang Shiba Yuanwai": "The color of grass looks far away but there is nothing up close" and "The best thing about spring is the spring." The poet seems to be particularly passionate about "grass buds" , probably because he saw the news of spring from Cao Ya. From the composition point of view, the first sentence, "There is no youth", is suppressed; the second sentence, "The grass buds are first seen", is raised, ups and downs, ups and downs.