Qu Yuan is the first poet in the history of China literature, and Li Sao is one of his important works, which has an important influence on the development of China literature. Scholars of later generations hold Qu Yuan in high esteem, and his literary achievements are unparalleled.
Why did Qu Yuan create Li Sao?
As for the background of Li Sao, one of the focuses of debate is whether Qu Yuan was created when he was alienated or exiled by Chu Huaiwang. According to Records of Historical Records and Biographies of Qu Yuan, the young and promising Qu Yuan was slandered by his colleague Shangguan Doctor (Shanxi Merchants), and Chu Huaiwang alienated him. He wrote Li Sao with sadness and meditation. The preface to Historical Records Taishi Gong said: "Qu Yuan was demoted and wrote Li Sao." It is also said in Baoren An Shu: "Qu Yuan was exiled, but he was endowed with Li Sao." Sima Qian's account of the same incident is obviously contradictory.
The Story in Li Sao
Due to the lack of reliable historical materials, finding evidence from the poem itself is a good way to solve this problem. There is such a line in the poem: "If we are different, I will die far away." Self-neglect refers to a positive attitude, not being released. In addition, some people suspect that it was written after Qu Yuan's exile, because there is a sentence in the poem "Qu Yuan and Zheng Xi in southern Hunan", which is not credible. Because the second half of Li Sao is a journey in the writer's imagination, "Ji Yuan and Zheng Xi in southern Hunan" is not true.
In a word, the statements in Historical Records and Biographies of Qu Yuan are credible. However, Records of the Historian, Biography of Taishigong and Letter to Ren An are both lyrical words, which may be that they are not faithful to historical facts when writing.
Qu Yuan experienced three periods in his life: Chu Weiwang, Chu Huaiwang and King Xiang of Qing Dynasty, and his main activities were in the period of Chu Huaiwang. This period is the eve of China's imminent reunification. "Qin Huang is horizontal, Chu Wang is vertical." Qu was born in a famous family, good at dealing with chaos and rhetoric, and was highly valued in his early years. He was a doctor of Zuotu. In order to realize the great cause of Chu's reunification, Qu Yuan actively assisted in the reform to strengthen the country, and insisted on uniting Qi with foreign countries to resist Qin, which once made Chu rich and strong. However, due to the sharp contradiction between Qu Yuan and the decadent aristocratic group of Chu State in internal affairs and diplomacy, and the jealousy of Shangguan doctor and others, Qu Yuan was later framed by a clique and alienated by Chu Huaiwang.
In the fifteenth year of Wang Huai (the first 304 years), from Qin to Chu, Zhang Yi bribed Shanxi merchants, Zilan, Zheng Xiu and others as spies with huge sums of money, and at the same time deceived Wang Huai with "offering merchants for 600 miles", which led to the breaking of diplomatic relations between Qi and Chu. After being deceived, he became angry from embarrassment and sent troops to Qin twice, both of which were defeated. Therefore, Qu Yuan was ordered to send an envoy to Qi State to rebuild the friendship between Qi and Chu. Once again, Zhang Yi failed to disintegrate the Qi-Chu alliance from Qin to Chu. In twenty-four years, Qin Chu formed an alliance with Huang Ci, and Chu was completely embraced by the State of Qin. Qu Yuan was also expelled from the capital and moved to the Northern Han Dynasty.
Thirty years after Wang Huai, Qu Yuan returned to Du Ying. In the same year, Qin made an appointment with the military attache, was detained by Qin, and finally died in Qin. After Wang Xiang ascended the throne, he continued to implement the policy of surrender. Qu Yuan was once again expelled from Ying Capital and exiled to the south of the Yangtze River, and was displaced between Yuan and Xiang. In the twenty-first year of Xiang Wang (278 BC), Qin generals attacked Ying capital, and Qu Yuan threw himself into the Miluo River in anger, sacrificing his political ideal.
No matter what Qu Yuan wants to write Li Sao, Li Sao's position in the history of China literature is unshakable. "Li Sao" poured out his concern for the fate of Chu and people's life, "mourning for people's livelihood" and lamenting that traitors were in power. Advocate "cultivating talents and empowering" and "following the rope without being quiet". Put forward that "God is selfless" and criticize the theory of destiny. A large number of metaphors and rich imaginations in the works show the positive romantic spirit, and create the "Sao" poetic form in China literature, which has a far-reaching impact on later generations.