The poem "Dialogue of Coal" seems to be written very calmly, with no passionate wording, no sonorous rhythm, and no heroic emotions like a trumpet. However, this short poem is It is so thought-provoking, with broad connotation and profound artistic conception, no less than a long and passionate march...
The poet's emotions are condensed and condensed into coal...
Because of We don't know what gave the poet the opportunity to write this poem. But we can guess the reason why the poet wrote such a poem.
In October 1935, the poet walked out of the lonely and dark cell and came to the land full of suffering. He returned to his hometown, where his mother arranged a marriage for him; he went to Changzhou, where he taught at Wujin Women's Normal School, but was soon expelled by the headmistress; and he went to Shanghai, where he lived a wandering life without a career or a job. ... No matter how unstable and miserable his personal life is, the poet's heart is always concerned about the rise and fall of the nation. At that time, the Chinese nation was in crisis. As a poet with a strong sense of responsibility, how could he use his singing to awaken the people and make them realize their strength and rise up to fight?
The poem "Coal's Dialogue" was born.
It can be imagined that when the poet wrote this poem, his inner emotions were already very deep and heavy. The dullness and coldness of reality made the poet unbearable anymore. This kind of emotion has It may burst out and form huge waves; it may also come out gently and shake the soul of the nation with a more solid power. "Dialogue of Coal" is the result of the poet choosing the latter method...
The power of poetry lies in how it is expressed, but also in the thinking that this expression comes from.
This poem adopts a dialogue method. One question and one answer are extremely simple. This constitutes the external form of the poem. The reason why the poet adopts this simple dialogue method may be due to this. Consider: Because the object described - coal, is simple. The poet may also come from this thinking: the simpler the external form, the deeper the connotation appears, forming a strong contrast, and the poetic flavor is stronger. This creative method of promoting desire before suppressing has achieved exquisite results in this poem. This is also an aesthetic principle that constitutes artistic effect. The poet has mastered this principle well.
The simplicity and simplicity of the verses form an important feature of this poem. Let’s look at:
“Where do you live?//I live in the deep mountains of ten thousand years/I live in the rocks of ten thousand years//Your age——//I am older than the mountains Bigger/Bigger than a rock.”
This poem is simply ordinary spoken language, without any polish or decoration. However, it is in this simplicity that the poetic flavor overflows. Sculpture returns to simplicity, and the value lies in nature. The lines of this poem are exactly this high-level artistic expression.
Simple words but profound meaning is a pursuit and a principle in poetry creation. The poem "Dialogue of Coal" can really be said to cherish ink like gold.
Let’s look at:
“Since when have you been silent? //From the time when dinosaurs ruled the forest/From the time when the earth’s crust first shook//You have died in the past Are you filled with deep resentment? //Death? No, no, I’m still alive——/Please give me fire, give me fire!"
To the character of "coal", "coal" The poet originally had a lot to say about his emotions. However, the poet only wrote these few sentences, leaving a vast space for readers to imagine. This choice of "hanging one thing and leaking ten thousand" is exactly an artistic method of this poem that combines broadness and depth with simplicity and simplicity, and has achieved the effect of one to ten.
This poem also uses an artistic method, which is to personify "coal". And let "Coal" report his own family and history. This not only makes people feel friendly, but also makes people feel that coal is alive and alive. It has its sufferings, but also its prayers!
Ai Qing once said in "On Poetry":
"Poets must grasp the appearance and essence of things more concretely than ordinary people", "Poets make various separated things look for each other" image connection".
The poem "Dialogue of Coal" is an example of the practice of this insight.
There is no direct connection between "coal" and the suffering Chinese nation. It was the poet who cleverly connected the two and achieved amazing results.
For thousands of years, the Chinese nation has endured countless sufferings. They have endured all kinds of oppression and exploitation, and lived silently at the lowest level of society. However, they are not "dead". Once they encounter new opportunities and new ideas, they will rise up and burn a huge fire to cleanse the old world. How can we express this kind of living condition, this kind of emotion, and this kind of character of the Chinese nation in a clever way? The poet thought of "coal". Coals have been buried underground for a long time. They are ordinary and unknown. However, they have an excellent character - they will burn and glow when exposed to fire. The poet used "coal" to write about the suffering Chinese nation, which is really appropriate. The beauty of poetry, the artistic conception of poetry, and the power of poetry also arise from this.
"Feeling is only the key to knowledge", "It is not enough for a poet to have rich feelings, he must also have rich thinking, generalization and imagination".
Ai Qing brilliantly talked about the process of conception and some of the conditions that poets must have to write good poems. This all gives us inspiration.
Simplicity is an important factor in the beauty of poetry that Ai Qing emphasizes. Ai Qing has always attached great importance to this factor in his creation. He said that simplicity "is the abandonment of the luxury of words; it is the healthy exposure that takes off the fine clothes; it is the uninhibited pace that breaks away from the shackles of form; it is the broad smile thrown at the empty technique."
In his creation, Ai Qing does not simply pursue novel formats or flashy words, but wins with simplicity and simplicity. The poem "Coal's Dialogue" expresses its profound and profound connotation in a very simple language, kindly and naturally. The reason why Ai Qing pursues such a poetic style stems from his profound understanding of the beauty of poetry. "The most ideal poetry is when profound and broad thoughts are expressed in the simplest language."
Ai Qing's creative theory and creative practice should really be something that today's poets need to seriously think about important topic.
(Guo Baochen)