Live and be a man among men; Die and become the soul in the soul. Today, people still miss Xiang Yu because he refused to live and returned to the East.
Extended data:
Summer quatrains is a five-character quatrains written by Li Qingzhao, a poetess in Song Dynasty. This is an ancient poem that satirizes the present and expresses grief and indignation. The first two sentences of the poem are surprising and straightforward, suggesting that people "live like an outstanding person", make contributions to the country and the court, and "die" as a "ghost hero" to be worthy of being a hero with indomitable spirit.
Deep patriotic feelings burst out and shocked people. In the last two sentences, the author satirizes the shameless behavior of those in power in the Southern Song Dynasty by praising Xiang Yu's tragic behavior. There are only 20 short words in the whole poem, but three allusions are used in succession, which can be described as meticulous words and full of sense of justice between the lines.
Literary appreciation: Li Qingzhao's poems have not been handed down from generation to generation and are not well known by the world. However, this five-character quatrain is a famous one and is widely read. Poetry is clear and hearty, and the story of Xiang Yu is also a well-known classic. Her writing is graceful or sentimental, while poetry is a generous voice that washes children's hearts, which is quite different from her writing style.
The first two sentences of this poem are quite shocking. "Outstanding figures" come from Historical Records and Biography of Gaozu, and refer to outstanding ministers and generals such as Sean, Xiao He and Han Xin. "Ghost hero" comes from Qu Yuan's Nine Songs of National Mourning: "When you die, God takes the spirit, and the soul is a ghost hero." The highly concise poem clearly and loudly sings Li Qingzhao's life values: why not be afraid of life and death when you die for your country!
Since the pre-Qin period, this patriotic spirit has been the mainstream of China culture, and Li Qingzhao's life values are the embodiment of this cultural spirit in individuals. But if these two poems are placed in the field of women's literature, they will have more profound significance.
For women, the cruelty of war is that they can't join the army to defend their country like men, but can only be the bearers of lamentations and groans under the iron hoof. But in Li Qingzhao's works, her self-image is not a weak person waiting to be saved.
Although she couldn't go to the battlefield in person, she never stayed out of it. She cares about the current situation, feels aggrieved for the suppressed anti-Jin people, and makes no secret of her contempt and anger at the escape of the monarch and ministers in the Southern Song Dynasty.