China is called the country of poetry, not only because China's poetry has a long history, but also because there are many schools of poets and works. Poetry has always occupied a special and important position in the social life and cultural development of China.
China's poems originated in the pre-Qin period, and went through the Han, Wei, Southern and Northern Dynasties until the Sui and Tang Dynasties. Poetry has entered a period of prosperity. After the Tang Dynasty, the status of poetry in China literature gradually declined. Mr. Ceng Yun and Mr. Qi Gong: The poems before the Tang Dynasty grew up, the Tang poems were shouted out, the Song poems were spoken out, and the poems after the Song Dynasty were imitated. In short, before the Tang Dynasty, China's poetry was in a difficult period, natural and simple; The Tang Dynasty was the golden age of China's poetry, which was straightforward and varied. China's poetry in Song Dynasty is in a transitional period, with interesting speculation and reasonable emotion. After the Song Dynasty, China's poems came into being, with many genres, but lacking originality.
The source of China's traditional poetry is rural folk songs in the pre-Qin period, which belongs to popular literature. Confucius chose to cut it into words, but there was the Book of Songs. After the pre-Qin period, there appeared literati specializing in poetry creation, and China's traditional poetry also entered the ranks of elegant literature. Whether it is "Jian 'an Style" or "Han and Wei Yuefu", this elegant word is fully displayed. Poetry in the late Tang Dynasty pushed China's traditional poetry to the peak of elegant literature. We might as well take this as a clue to review the rise and fall of China's traditional poetry and its internal reasons from the perspective of elegance and vulgarity and from the development of social culture and history.
In addition to the realistic Book of Songs, pre-Qin poetry has another kind of poetic style that represents romanticism. Qu Yuan and Song Yu are his representative writers, and Li Sao is one of them.
Second, the rise of poetry.
In the Han Dynasty, Yuefu Poetry, a poem sung with music, appeared. There are four words, five words and miscellaneous words in language, but most of them are five words. Later, the literati headed by Cao Cao and his son and Tao Yuanming developed five-character poems. At the same time, seven-character poems have also developed greatly. The masterpiece of Yuefu poetry
The Han and Wei Dynasties is an important turning point in the cultural history of China. The Wei, Jin and Six Dynasties at the end of Han Dynasty were eventful and dark periods in China's history, but they were very important in the history of ideology, culture and art, with far-reaching influence to this day.
Before Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, the rhythm and rhyme of poetry had not formed a rule that everyone followed, but the author wrote it according to his personal content needs and rhyme feeling. In the Wei and Jin Dynasties, influenced by Indian Sanskrit phonology (called Tianzhu in ancient times), phonology in China developed. Zhou Ai and Shen Yue of Qi Liang summed up the pronunciation rules of Chinese characters and put forward the theories of "four tones" and "eight diseases", which made poetry creation develop from natural rhythm to pursuit of rhythm, and the nature of paying attention to levelness and rhythm appeared in poetry writing, forming the main content of metrical poetry.
When it comes to Han and Wei poetics, we have to mention Jian 'an literature. The main representatives of Jian 'an's literary achievements are San Cao and his son, Kong Rong, RoyceWong, Serina Liu, Ruan Yu, Xu Gan, Chen Lin and Angelababy. These people are called "seven sons of Jian 'an". Later generations called this period "the revival of Wei tune at the end of Han Dynasty", which marked the end of the writing style of Han Dynasty and ushered in a new literary era. In the Tang Dynasty, Li Bai once wrote a poem praising "the bones of great writers are your brushes, in the school of heaven. In China, for quite a period after Confucius, literature advocated rationality, focusing on reasoning and narration, so "poetry expresses ambition" and "writing embodies Tao" became a tradition. But in the Three Kingdoms period, the idea of "fatalism" appeared, which was mentioned side by side with "expressing one's will". "Destiny's love" is roughly equivalent to today's lyric. For example, Cao Cao's poem "Sing a song about wine, life is geometric", "Jieshi is in the east to see the sea", and Cao Pi's poem "The autumn wind is bleak, the weather is cool, and the vegetation is like frost" is such a poem.
In addition to Jian 'an poems, there is also a school of poetry in Han and Wei Dynasties that inherits the "folk natural rhythm" in poetry style, that is, "Han and Wei Yuefu". Following the Book of Songs and Songs of the South, Yuefu poems in the two Han Dynasties became another magnificent scenery in the history of ancient China poetry. As a new poetic style, Yuefu poetry shows great vitality. With its ingenious conception, superb narrative skills and flexible and diverse system, Han Yuefu has become a new model of China's ancient poetry. For example, "ancient songs" with free style and true feelings; The upward inclination reveals a woman's unswerving oath to love; All the way to the Altair with neat form and beautiful words; And the narrative folk songs "Sang Shang" and "Peacock Flying Southeast" with twists and turns, distinctive characters and bright and concise words.
Influenced by the Han Yuefu, the poetics of Han and Wei dynasties experienced a turning point from narration to lyricism, to imitation of folk songs and to writers' originality. For example, Nineteen Ancient Poems, which have been handed down to this day, were written by literati in the Han Dynasty. Jian 'an literary creation has completed the transformation from Yuefu folk songs to literati poems. China's traditional poetry thus entered the ranks of elegant literature.
In addition, the development of poetry from "four-character poem" with four words and one sentence to "five-character poem" and "seven-character poem" with five words and one sentence was also established in the Han and Wei Dynasties. It is generally believed that Cao Cao's four-character poems, such as Watching the Sea and Returning to Life, are masterpieces of the previous generation, that is to say, the four-character poems appeared at the latest, but they are the best works, while Cao Pi's clever seven-character poems in Ge Yanxing opened up a new era for the later seven-character poems.
During the Wei and Jin Dynasties, his poems produced a special "Wei and Jin demeanor". It contains wild behaviors such as "binge drinking" and "birthday celebration", strange atmosphere such as "speaking freely", "seclusion" and "archaizing", and the mixed thoughts of Confucianism, Taoism and Buddhism. From the perspective of subject matter, in addition to "love", the poems of the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties also produced different poetic schools such as "landscape", "pastoral" and "metaphysical words". In the poetic style, there is a natural and fresh, clear and smooth mainstream; Formally, * * * tends to be neat in five or seven words, and then forms a complete and strict meter.
Third, the poetic style of the prosperous Tang Dynasty
If we compare the changing history of China's poems to the Yellow River with nine twists, then we can trace it back to its source, just like melting ice and snow, and then flow freely like a light stream, and finally enter a confluence bay during the Han, Wei and Six Dynasties, absorbing other sources, accumulating energy and sweating like rain. Until the Sui and Tang Dynasties, it suddenly turned into a waterfall, magnificent and endless, and entered a brand-new world from then on.
We can't overestimate the position and influence of Tang poetry in the history of China's poetry. Lu Xun replied to Yang Jiyun's letter: "I think all the good poems have been written by the Tang Dynasty. After that, if you can't dig out the Buddha's palm, you don't have to do it. " ("Lu Xun's Letters"
The Tang Dynasty was the golden age of China's poetry. In about 300 years, nearly 50,000 poems have been handed down, more than twice as many as those left over from the Western Zhou Dynasty to the Southern and Northern Dynasties. Tang poetry is rich in content and diverse in style, with great poets Li Bai and Du Fu achieving the highest achievement and reaching the peak of poetry creation. It is beyond the reach of later poets. This is the treasure of China's poetry and the monument of China's poetry!
Theoretically, Chen Ziang put forward two thoughts: character and wealth. Chen Ziang's poems clearly show his theory, which has both positive and negative aspects. They are all five-character ancient poems in form, and their contents are varied and very rich. What he pursues is personality, and Zhang, who is almost contemporary with him, pursues brightness, beauty and purity in his creation. One of his songs, Moonlit Night on a Spring River, reached the acme of pure beauty. Wen Yiduo summed up "Moonlit Night on the Spring River" in "Palace Poetry Redemption" and said: "Go forward to redeem the sin of palace poetry for a hundred years, so go backward, and also clear the way for the prosperous Tang Dynasty with another peak, Chen Ziang."
After the prosperous Tang Dynasty, the national strength turned from prosperity to decline, and the poetic style was also influenced by it. Such as the cold and silent style of Dali's poems. Since then, the poet has paid attention to innovation and created a large number of innovative poems with different styles. In particular, Han Meng's poetry school was in its heyday, and its representative figure was Han Yu, who was "the decline of literature in ancient and modern times and the poverty of Dao Ji". Han Yu devoted himself to the innovation of poetry, and advocated that "injustice means singing". Mr. Chen said that his poems "have the beauty of poetry, the fluency of prose, the rhyme and the dispersion, and the unity of poetry and text."
At the same time as Han Meng's poetry school, Bai Yuan's poetry school, represented by Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen, emerged in the middle Tang Dynasty. This school of poets is realistic and popular. Although they run counter to each other, they are both innovations in essence. Although they take different paths, they tend to be consistent.
Stepping into the late Tang Dynasty, social decline and political darkness. A number of outstanding poets have emerged in the field of poetry. Such as the poems of Tu Mu, Jia Dao and Hermit. The master of poetry in the late Tang Dynasty was Li Shangyin. Shi Li's love poems are the most outstanding, which pay attention to messy, sad, beautiful and vague images.
Tang poetry belongs to the Tang people, which is a way of survival competition and a way of thinking of the Tang people. They love each other, or express tortuous and subtle feelings, and it is easy to simply use poetry as words. There are many books about the reasons for the prosperity of Tang poetry, but apart from the "reflection theory" based on economy and politics, we seem to pay more attention to the cultural reasons. We can't talk about "Tang Poetry" without "tang style".
Fourth, the trough of poetry.
"It's gorgeous and plain." It is the most appropriate portrayal of poetry in Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties after the prosperous Tang Dynasty. As poetry reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty, its position in the literary world gradually declined, and the original unruly torrent of poetry became clever, peaceful and docile.
After the prosperity of Sui and Tang Dynasties, feudal society gradually reached its peak in China's vast history. Until the Song Dynasty, the feudal economy was more developed and the urban economy was prosperous. In addition, the Song Dynasty gave preferential treatment to the literati, and officials received generous salaries. The life of the imperial court and bureaucrats is extravagant, and the general public also advocates extravagance. The bustling urban life has given birth to various entertaining literary forms. Poetry advocating the elegance of court integrity can no longer satisfy the people's song and dance entertainment. However, a literary style "Ci", which is more popular and freer in form than poetry, rose rapidly in the Song Dynasty, thus establishing another aesthetic vendor in literary history besides Tang poetry. Since then, poetry has no longer dominated the literary world.
Poets in Song Dynasty can find infinite treasure from the peak of Tang poetry, but this peak also gives heavy psychological pressure to the Song people, who must find another way to get out of the shadow of Tang poetry. However, after its heyday, it was difficult to sustain, and the innovation of Song poetry was very difficult. Facing the surging Song Ci, Song Ci pays attention to reflecting social reality, observes objective things with a cold attitude, thinks deeply, and tends to explore themes and styles.
Ouyang Xiu, the most influential poet in the early Song Dynasty, put forward the poetic theory of "poetry is poor and backward". After Ouyang Xiu, Wang Anshi became a family of his own, and he announced his return to Tang poetry in a subtle and profound style. Su Shi, a poet in the Northern Song Dynasty, is the first poet who combines rigidity with softness. After that, only the patriotic poet Lu You can call everyone. The theme of patriotism is the main ideological tendency of Lu's poems. Lu You's patriotic poems are inspiring and far-reaching. His poems describing the study life of mountains and rivers are also vivid, delicate, fresh and beautiful. In the late Ming Dynasty, Yuan Zongdao praised Lu's poems, saying that "everything is described thoroughly, and the topic of flowers and birds is also strange".
After the establishment of the Yuan Dynasty, in the face of national oppression and cultural integration, the literary world of the Yuan Dynasty was colorful. However, a large number of literati who failed in the imperial examination or lived in seclusion or wandering the market, as well as intellectuals who lost their careers, flocked to Goulanwa Temple for their livelihood or to express their anger. Popular operas and novels gradually flourished, and the status of poetry plummeted from then on.
The development of Yuan Zaju can be divided into two periods: before and after Yuan Chengzong's great virtue. The early stage is the heyday of zaju. Representative writers include Guan Hanqing, Ma Zhiyuan, Bai Pu and Kang. Their works are characterized by a wide range of themes, diverse styles, natural language and appeal to both refined and popular tastes. The highest achievement is Guan Hanqing, and Dou Eyuan is his best work. Wang Shifu's The West Chamber also represents the highest achievement of Yuan Zaju. In addition, Autumn in the Han Palace written by Ma Zhiyuan describes the scene of Zhao Jun's departure from the Great Wall, and Wu Tongyu written by Bai Pu describes Tang and Yang Guifei, both of which are masterpieces handed down from generation to generation.
The later period is the decline period of Yuan Zaju, not only the number of writers decreases, but also the ideological and artistic quality is not as good as that of the earlier period. Later writers pursued rhetorical beauty and lost the original beauty of early zaju language. The most outstanding drama of this period is Zheng Guangzu's Ghost Story.
During the Ming and Qing Dynasties, although the status of literati was improved, the imperial examination system of stereotyped writing in the imperial court strictly controlled their thoughts. There are new contents in literary form, the aesthetic taste of literati has changed, literature has gradually commercialized, popular literature has replaced elegant literature and developed in an all-round way, and poetry has become a poor ornament of literary talent in popular novels.
The main achievements of Ming and Qing literature are novels, especially vernacular novels. Novels in Ming and Qing Dynasties are represented by six vernacular novels: Romance of the Three Kingdoms, Water Margin, The Journey to the West, Jin Ping Mei, Scholars and A Dream of Red Mansions. Novels in Ming and Qing Dynasties not only inherited the legends and notes in classical Chinese of the previous generation, but also created Zhang Hui's novels and parodies (vernacular short stories created by the model parodies of literati) on the basis of the scripts in Song and Yuan Dynasties. These two vernacular novels, together with legends and notes, constitute the four major novel systems of classical Chinese and vernacular Chinese, showing the colorful features of China's ancient novels.
Five, the endless flow of poetry
After the May 4th Movement, the traditional culture was denied and replaced by the rapidly rising vernacular Chinese. At the same time, free poems and free songs have revived in the literary world in the new century. However, traditional poetry has not completely withdrawn from the literary stage. Not only Chen Yinque, Hu Shi, Ma Yifu, Xiong Shili, Qian Zhongshu and other people who study traditional culture continue to chant, but also some pioneers of new literature, such as Lu Xun, prefer traditional metrical poems. Comrade Mao Zedong was a master of traditional poetics in this period.
After that, faced with the constant impact of western literary schools, traditional poetics and even China's classical and elegant literature gradually lost its direction in modern literary circles. Modern poetry came into being and has always felt new glory. However, traditional poetics is an indispensable part of China's traditional culture for thousands of years. How to inherit and develop traditional poetics is a literary subject worth discussing.