Li Shangyin - Ode to History
Looking at the virtuous countries and families in the past,
Success comes from diligence and frugality, and ends from extravagance.
Why should amber be used as a pillow?
How can a real pearl be used as a chariot?
You will not find a Qinghai horse when you transport it.
It is difficult to pull out a Shushan snake if you are too weak.
A few people have met Nan Xunqu,
In the end, the blue sky cries for the green flowers.
Li Shangyin (about 813-about 858) was a native of Hanoi, Huaizhou, Tang Dynasty. Caught in the crossfire of cliques, his career failed and he was depressed for the rest of his life. He died of depression at the age of 45. He was very effective in the art of poetry. He was a star in the poetry circle of the late Tang Dynasty and had a great influence on the creation of Xikun style poetry in the early Song Dynasty.
Explanation: This poem profoundly summarizes the experience and lessons of the rise and fall of past dynasties, and expresses the aphorism that "success comes from diligence and frugality, but ends from luxury", which is worth people's deep thought. If we can build the country diligently and manage the family diligently and thriftily, then the trend of integrity will flourish, the country will be strong, and the family will be prosperous.
In the poetry world of the late Tang Dynasty, Li Shangyin's Qijue of Ode to History can be said to be unique. Through unique artistic techniques, these express the poet's inner feelings in a metaphorical way, forming Li Shangyin's unique style of chanting history.
The main artistic techniques of Li Shangyin's "Qi Jue Ode to History" are: 1. Select typical historical events and scenes, combine them with narrative and discussion, and learn from the past; 2. Cleverly combine historical stories with myths and legends, and express them in a profound and subtle way. There is a bitter sarcasm in the writing style; 3. Self-motivated, public affairs are new; 4. Use the changes in the rise and fall of history to illustrate the laws and lessons of historical evolution, and express heavy historical emotions; 5. Carefully select materials and use short stories to describe them. To see the big picture, one can see the whole leopard through one speck; 6. Make good use of allusions.
Keywords: Poetry in the Late Tang Dynasty, Ode to History, Seven Unique Artistic Skills of Li Shangyin
In the poetry world of the Late Tang Dynasty, he was able to have a keen political vision, show rich and colorful real life, and be able to use delicate Li Shangyin is the first person to create a unique way of expressing emotions and creating a unique path for the art of poetry.
Li Shangyin experienced the six dynasties of Xianzong, Mu Zong, Jingzong, Wenzong, Wuzong and Xuanzong in the late Tang Dynasty in his life, and witnessed the irreversible decline and decline of the once prosperous and powerful Tang Empire. Li Shangyin was concerned about the fate of the country, and was deeply worried about the supreme ruler's excessive debauchery, the dictatorship of villains, and the declining state of the country. He expressed his disappointment and pain through poetry, especially the "Qijue Ode to History". These poems are often written in a metaphorical way, forming Li Shangyin's unique style of epic poetry.
1. Select typical historical events and scenes, combine narrative and discussion, and learn from the past.
Faced with the extravagant behavior of the feudal rulers, who indulged themselves in wine and sex and neglected government affairs, the country was in decline and the country was on the verge of collapse. Li Shangyin was filled with disappointment and sorrow in his heart, and he hated the rulers very much. At that time, it was inconvenient to express these emotions clearly but had to be said. Therefore, Li Shangyin could only trace the historical past. This alludes to current events and draws lessons from the past. For example, "Two Poems of the Northern Qi Dynasty":
The country will perish as soon as you smile at each other, why bother with the thorns before it can hurt you.
Xiao Lian's jade body lay across the night, and she has reported to the Zhou army to enter Jinyang. (Part 1)
With a clever smile, one can defeat all enemies, but the most beautiful thing is the military uniform.
Jinyang has been captured, so I look back and ask the king to hunt around. (Part 2)
In these two poems, the poet used the historical fact that Gao Wei, the later leader of the Northern Qi Dynasty, favored Concubine Feng Shu and ended up subjugating the country to a certain degree of irony to those in power. "Book of Northern Qi" records: In 577 AD, Emperor Wu of the Northern Zhou Dynasty captured Jinyang and then marched towards Yecheng, the capital of Qi. Gao Wei, the queen of the Northern Qi Dynasty, was captured by the Zhou division, and the Northern Qi Dynasty perished. In these two poems, the poet selected typical historical events and scenes, generated discussions while narrating historical facts, and expressed profound meanings in vivid and concrete images and strong color contrasts, so as to draw lessons from the past.
2. It cleverly combines historical stories with myths and legends, revealing bitter irony in the profound and subtle writing style.
In Taoist legends, there are love stories between the Queen Mother of the West and King Mu of Zhou, Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty and the Queen Mother of the West. King Mu of Zhou and Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty were both superstitious believers in the way of gods. They took elixirs to pray for immortality. Legend has it that King Mu of Zhou also ate the flat peaches and nectar given to him by the Queen Mother of the West, but in the end no one escaped the fate of death. In the love between Queen Mother of the West, King Mu of Zhou and Emperor Wu of Han, it is inseparable from seeking immortality. Li Shangyin's "Yaochi": "The window of Yaochi Amu Qi opened, and the song of yellow bamboo moved the earth to mourn. Eight horses traveled thirty thousand miles a day, why didn't King Mu come back again?" This is based on the legend about their love, which satirizes their pursuit of immortality. Vanity and absurdity. In the clever conception, the theme of the poem is completely integrated into the image description and psychological activities of the Queen Mother of the West. The euphemistic language expression reveals a sharp sense of irony, especially the ending of the poem in the form of questioning, which is more thought-provoking and has endless aftertaste. Another example is "Han Gong Ci":
The green bird flew west but did not return, and the king grew up in Jilingtai.
The courtier's best appearance is like being thirsty, and he will not give you a cup of gold-stem dew.
The poem satirizes the mediocrity of Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty by borrowing the historical story that Emperor Wu of the Han Dynasty prayed for immortality and was superstitious in seeking immortality but did not know how to cherish the talented. During his five years in Huichang, Emperor Wuzong built a platform to watch immortals in the southern suburbs, and took food to seek immortality. The poet, eager to advance as an official, often described himself as Sima Xiangru, but found no companions. Therefore, he was extremely dissatisfied with Tang Wuzong's mediocrity and lack of respect for talents.
In the poem, the poet cleverly weaves together historical stories and myths and legends, satirizes Emperor Wuzong of the Tang Dynasty in a tactful way, expresses content that is inconvenient to say clearly but has to be said euphemistically, and reveals the bitterness in the deep and implicit writing style. of ridicule. This way of writing is a concrete manifestation of Li Shangyin's poetic style of "profound sustenance and euphemistic phrasing".
3. Create new ideas and turn the old into the new.
Among Li Shangyin's "Seven Wonders of Ode to History", there are also works that renovate historical themes and turn the old into the new. According to historical records: Jia Yi was demoted to Changsha by Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and became the royal tutor of Changsha. Later, he was recalled by the Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and convened him in the Xuanshi. The two talked until late at night, and the conversation was so congenial that Emperor Hanwen actually moved his seat closer to Jia Yi. Many literati have exaggerated this as a grand event for the reunion of emperors and ministers, but Li Shangyin took a unique approach, "The promulgation office seeks talents to visit, and Jia Sheng's talents are even more unmatched. It's a pity that he only sat down at the front table in the middle of the night, and did not ask the common people or ghosts and gods." ("Jia Sheng") ) closely followed Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty and Jia Yixuan's office on the matter of "not asking the common people about ghosts and gods", and unearthed a thorough and thought-provoking discussion. From then on, he satirized the so-called "seeking talents" and "visiting and expelling" Emperor Wen of the Han Dynasty, and also satirized contemporary emperors, thus implicitly revealing his feelings about not being able to appreciate his talents.
4. Use the changes in the rise and fall of history to illustrate the laws and lessons of historical evolution and express heavy historical emotions.
Li Shangyin's epic poems are often different from the predecessors' "reminiscing about the past" and "reminiscing about the past". Instead, they focus on historical experience and lessons to comment on current affairs and comment on the current world. "Wu Palace", a poem about the Qijue of History: "The dragon threshold sinks into the water, the palace is clear, and the forbidden gate is deep to muffle the voices of people. The king of Wu is full of drunkenness after the banquet, and the water blooms in the city at dusk." This poem uses the intoxication of the king of Wu after the banquet and the palace gate. The deep silence is a sign of the impending demise of the Wu Kingdom. After Wu defeated Yue, he became mediocre and promiscuous, and eventually overthrew the country. This poem describes the sunset scene of Wu Palace from the side. It contains profound historical lessons and leaves people with endless aftertaste. Another example is "Ode to History":
The rivers in the north and south of Hunan are full of water, and all the flags are lowered and their poles are white.
Three hundred years of dreaming together, where is the dragon plate in Zhongshan?
This poem is written from the scene in front of him, and uses specific images to show the historical rise and fall of the three hundred years from Sun Wu to Liang and Chen's capital in Jinling, expressing the poet's emotion about the rise and fall of history. Give a certain amount of satire to the ruler's debauchery and harm to the country.
Others such as:
The Yongshou soldiers stay awake all night, and the golden lotus has no copy of the atrium.
At the third watch of Liangtai's singing pipe, it's like the wind is shaking the nine-zi bell. ("Qi Gong Ci")
On the mountain, I leave the palace and go upstairs, and the evening river flows beside the palace in front of the building.
The Chu sky is long and short and it rains at dusk. Song Yu has no worries but also worries about himself. ("Chu Lin")
5. Carefully select materials, see the big from the small, and get a glimpse of the whole leopard through one spot.
Li Shangyin once wrote poems many times, sharply satirizing and rebuking Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty for his debauchery and ruining the country, "If you meet Empress Chen underground, how should you ask about the flowers in the backyard again?" (Qilu "Sui Palace" 》) During the fourteen years that Emperor Yang of the Sui Dynasty was in power, most of his time was spent on having fun. From the first year to the twelfth year of Daye, he visited Jiangdu three times. Each time, he took hundreds of thousands of people on luxurious dragon boats. The large and small fleets were about 200 miles long, which caused a heavy burden on the people along the way. When Li Shangyin exposed and denounced this act, he often used typical techniques and carefully selected materials, such as his "Sui Palace": "If there is no martial law on the southern tour in Xingxing, who will save the letter of remonstrance? The spring breeze will cut the palace brocade, half of it is a barrier and half of it is mud. "Making a sail." The poet captured several typical events from Emperor Sui Yang's three trips south to Jiangdu, and in a short space of time profoundly exposed the reactionary nature of Sui Yang's debauchery and extravagance, which harmed the people. In the narrative, the author writes from the big picture and uses a summary style that alternates reality and fiction, achieving the artistic effect of seeing the whole thing from one spot. There are many writing methods like this in Li Shangyin's seven unique poems about history.
In addition, making good use of allusions is another artistic skill of Li Shangyin's seven unique poems about history.
As an outstanding poet, Li Shangyin has an important position and influence in the history of Chinese poetry. "Qijue Ode to History" is one of the factors that established his representative status in the poetry world of the late Tang Dynasty. Li Shangyin used his artistic practice to contribute to the poetry world of the late Tang Dynasty, which is unparalleled in the entire history of Chinese poetry. As the main form of Li Shangyin's poetry, the Qijue Ode to History also has unique value in the entire history of the development of Chinese poetry.