Grateful and Friendly, 27th Liberation Book List | "The Tang Dynasty Poets I Know": Where the Heaven and Earth Are Going to the Tang Dynasty | Weimang | Friendly
Chen Shangjun's "The Tang Dynasty Poets I Know" was originally a column in "Cultural and Historical Knowledge", which began with the interpretation of Tang Dynasty lost poems. The author is proficient in Part B and skilled in textual research. The articles collected in this book are meticulously repeated, and their temperament and posture gradually develop a kind of unrestrained adaptation beyond academic narrative patterns.
The author is trained by Mr. Zhu Dongrun, who teaches that "one can only refute facts with facts, not with arguments, because the result of arguments is only arguments.". The author adheres to his teacher's orders, starting from the most basic literature reading, compilation, textual research, and chronological arrangement, and self describes "more than 50000 Tang poems, nearly 4000 authors, each of whom has been read, proofread, and written five to ten times, each of whom is poor in searching for literature, always knowing the beginning and end. Famous scholars have a clear understanding in their hearts, and even those who only have a single sentence dare not neglect it. They sit and rest in the morning and sleep at night, lingering in their thoughts, never forgetting it. Reading their poems reveals their character, knowing their people, and even comprehending their poetry.".
Countless times of "night dreams are common, day thoughts are subtle" have created the fact that they know more than the average person, and the twists and turns they think of are also deeper than the average person; This vague "dare not forget" is precisely the chivalry of "feeling the emperor's spirit without any regrets", so I am eager to tell readers all I know about Tang Dynasty poets.
The book covers over fifty poets. Some poets may not be famous today, but in their own time, they once had great achievements. For example, Li Shanfu, in a poem by Sikong Tu, said, "Who is like the genius Li Shanfu? The peony belongs to the realm of thought and is also full of ideas."; For example, Chen Tao, Cao Song compared him to Du Fu, and Du Xunhe compared him to Li Bai and Du Fu; For example, Gao Pian, who came from the Shence Military family, was praised by professional literary scholars for his poetry, which was "full of emotions and poetry, and was extremely popular.".
The author wrote their story: Li Shanfu, feeling disappointed, rebelled in Hebei and entered the Wei Bo shogunate, where he planned to intercept and kill the former Prime Minister Wang Duo and his entourage; Chen Tao, boasting of his extraordinary abilities, seemed to have a clear understanding of military tactics, understood the principles of governance, and paid homage to his sect, ultimately achieving no results; Gao Pian was in charge of politics in Yangzhou, but he was obsessed with immortal affairs and died tragically. His poetry, however, abandoned the cold and elegant style of late Tang poetry, and lacked the official and complex taste of the people of the Middle Tang Dynasty. He was clear and clear, with a unique sentiment that was enough to form his own family. The author writes about the lives of some poets, depicting their true talent and loss in their dreams, crossing the battlefield, comforting the wounded, and even leaving room for indescribable things to speak of.
The author is better at using the clues they can grasp, drilling through cracks, breaking down old sayings, reconstructing historical contexts, and showcasing another aspect of the poet that the secular world is unaware of. For example, Li Shen, who wrote "hoeing the grass at noon", was actually one of the earliest advocates of the New Yuefu, singing with three feet in line with the Yuan and Bai tripods. The author focuses on writing about his extreme personality and inner softness. One evidence is that when his brother Li Ji passed away, he cursed his sister-in-law Cui Shi for his immorality. Twenty five years after his brother's death, Li Shen took care of his widow and sister-in-law for more than twenty years, personally handling his affairs; For example, when writing about Lu Zangyong, the world only knows about his opportunistic and extravagant behavior, but the author writes extensively about Lu Zangyong's friendship with Chen Ziang, compiling collections of essays, writing biographies, preserving sacrificial texts, and even writing poetry to evaluate Ziang's achievements at the first time, setting the tone for future evaluations of Chen Ziang; For example, when writing about the relationship between Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan, the author believes that political upheavals or obstacles hindered their literary exchanges. However, from Liu's collection of works after his death, it can be seen that his friendship remained unchanged throughout his life; For example, when writing about Linghu Chu, he expresses on his deathbed the abandonment of all the sorrows and honors behind him, simplifies the funeral, and adopts a fearless attitude of body admonition. He expresses his gratitude to the ruler to change his previous cruelty, show kindness to the world, and bring peace and health to the people of the world. The author further showcases the consistent friendship between Chen Linghu Chu, Li Fengji, and Liu Yuxi. As the saying goes, "Whoever wanders with me, who will follow me," it is even more convincing that all fair and private relationships can be shown to the world. Even if the political arena is treacherous, the interaction between people can be free from deceit and conspiracy, all for the sake of human governance and the friendship of longing and care; For example, when writing about Pei Du, who had accumulated great achievements but feared the fulfillment of his precepts, his ambition to retire was only revealed by Xin Qiji in later generations. It is said that "the green fields are filled with wind and smoke, the flat springs are covered with grass and trees, and the eastern mountains are filled with wine. In the coming year, when everything is sorted out, it will be a long life for the master.". He, along with Li Deyu and Xie An, is a great figure who can recreate the world, which further proves that Pei Du is still an unwavering loyal minister with unchanged beliefs.
When discussing narrative literature, Mr. Zhu Dongrun believes that "of course, only from the perspective of personality". "The Tang Dynasty Poets I Know" clearly regards this as the standard, with the skill of picking gold out of sand, the courage of understanding the emotions, and the full confidence of understanding the opinions and thoughts of the master. Only then can we make analysis, synthesis, judgment, and comparison, and write about "the unique, ever-changing, and imperfect life.".
"I know that behind all the twists and turns lies a straight oath." "The Poets of the Tang Dynasty I Know" is a practice that, under the dual pressure of academic order and loneliness in life, outlines the relics of history, explores the hidden secrets of the ancients, and deserves all the help and care along the way of literature. There are no rivers and mountains that come lightly along the way.
"The Tang Dynasty Poets I Know" by Chen Shangjun at Zhonghua Book Company
