What are the different highlights of Song poetry?, Thinker | Hou Tijian: Compared to Tang poetry, ancient poetry, Tang people, and Song poetry
In the excellent traditional Chinese culture, ancient poetry holds an important position. Tang poetry and Song lyrics have left a deep impression on everyone. In the view of Hou Tijian, a professor in the Chinese Department of Fudan University, the achievements of Song poetry are actually very high, as it has some unique charm and charm. So, what are the differences between Song people writing poetry and Tang people writing poetry? What are the differences between the fun it presents and Tang poetry? He explained this from four aspects. The following is his speech at the Shanghai Library.
When it comes to classical poetry, people often think of the glory of Tang poetry for the first time, but in fact, the achievements of Song poetry are also very high, with some unique charm and charm. Today, we will talk about the Song poetry that may not have left a deep impression on everyone, but has always been around us.
Song poetry is right beside us, not far away
Famous scholar Wang Guowei once said: Every generation has its own literature. What is literature of a generation? That is to say, every era has its most representative literary style. For example, when we talk about the Tang Dynasty, we immediately think of Tang poetry, and when we talk about the Song Dynasty, we will blurt out Song lyrics. In the Yuan Dynasty, it was Yuan opera, while in the Ming and Qing Dynasties, it was a novel. Is this statement reasonable? Of course it makes a lot of sense. Liu Xie's "Wen Xin Diao Long" once said, "The changes in literature are influenced by the world, and the rise and fall depend on the timing." The rise and fall of literary style is always closely related to the times. However, when a viewpoint is too dominant, it becomes like a spotlight on stage, and people often overlook areas that are not illuminated by the lights. So we will find that when the concept of "Tang poetry and Song poetry" becomes too powerful, Tang and Song poetry will become less prominent.
I took a course at Fudan University and had a final exam question: Please silently write a seven character regulated poem from the Song Dynasty. As a result, what I thought was a scoring question turned into a proposition, and many students did not receive a single point. This makes me wonder, is Song Shi really so far away from us? In fact, Song poetry is right beside us and not far away. For example, "To compare West Lake to West Lake, it is always appropriate to wear light makeup and heavy makeup" is a poem by Su Shi, and of course it is a Song poem. For example, "A glass of wine in the spring breeze of peach and plum blossoms, and ten years of light in the night rain of the rivers and lakes" is a poem by Huang Tingjian and also a Song poem. There is also the familiar saying "mountains and rivers are heavy, doubts have no way, willows are dark, flowers are bright, another village", which is a poem by Lu You and also a Song poem. No matter how unlucky, Wen Tianxiang's "Who has never died in life since ancient times, leaving a loyal heart to reflect history" should be able to be memorized, right? These works are well-known to everyone and can even be blurted out, not far from us at all, but why do people seem to never realize in their impression that they are Song poetry?
Everyone is familiar with "Three Hundred Tang Poems". Do you know how many Tang poems we can see so far? The total is probably over 50000 songs. And how much is Song poetry? In 1998, the Institute of Ancient Books at Peking University compiled a book called "Complete Song Poetry", which included over 270000 works. Even so, it is often criticized for not collecting too much. Roughly estimated, the existing Song poetry is about six times that of Tang poetry. It can be seen that the number of Song poems is enormous. Of course, it is not that the Song people enjoyed writing poetry more than the Tang people, but rather that the mainstream communication carriers of the two dynasties were different.
The Tang Dynasty was an era of manual copying, and the dissemination of poetry mainly relied on manual copying. The Song Dynasty was an era of printing, and the dissemination of printing and handwritten copies was completely different. Just like we are in the electronic age now, how much text can be produced and disseminated in a day? The quantity is astonishing. Of course, quantity is not directly proportional to quality. But isn't there a masterpiece among so many Song poems? Is its overall quality inferior to Tang poetry? I'm afraid I haven't seen it. A large number of exquisite works in Song poetry can completely rival Tang poetry.
The Tang people wrote it this way, the Song people wrote it that way
So, what are the differences between Song people writing poetry and Tang people writing poetry? What are the differences between the fun it presents and Tang poetry? Next, I will briefly discuss from four aspects: first, the Tang people wrote it this way, while the Song people wrote it that way; Secondly, the Tang Dynasty did not write much, while the Song Dynasty wrote extensively; Thirdly, what Tang people were not good at, Song people were good at writing; Fourthly, what the Tang Dynasty could not write, the Song Dynasty could write.
Let's start with the first aspect: the same subject matter was written in the same way as the Tang Dynasty and the Song Dynasty. Li Bai's "Early Departure from the White Emperor City" should be familiar to everyone. This is a seven character quatrain: "In the midst of the colorful clouds of the White Emperor, a thousand miles of Jiangling return in a day. The sound of apes on both sides cannot stop singing, and the light boat has crossed ten thousand mountains." This poem is said to be about Li Bai, who was exiled to Yelang. While passing by the White Emperor City, he received the news of his pardon, which surprised him greatly. He immediately set off along the Yangtze River to Jiangling. On the way, Li Bai couldn't suppress his joy and watched the rapid transformation of scenery on both sides of the strait. He wrote this poem "Departing from the White Emperor City Early", highlighting the word "fast".
How would Song people write about the speed of sailing? Let's take a look at Su Shi's "The Hundred Steps of the Flood", one of which reads: "The long flood is like jumping on the waves, and a light boat is like throwing a shuttle southward. The navigator is called the flying geese, and the rough stones compete and grind along the line. It's like a rabbit walking and an eagle falcon falling, and a horse betting on a thousand zhang slope. The broken string and arrow are detached from the pillar, and the flying electric current passes through the gap bead flipping the load." Su Shi describes the speed of the boat in the rapids, as fast as a rabbit fleeing, like an eagle falcon descending vertically from a thousand zhang altitude, like a horse pouring down from a thousand zhang slope, like a bow string suddenly breaking, like an arrow just leaving its hand, and then... Like flying electricity through gaps, or like water droplets rolling down lotus leaves. Su Shi used a metaphorical rhetorical device here. The so-called Bo Yu refers to using multiple metaphors to repeatedly construct metaphors from different perspectives to explain an ontology, so as to express the characteristics or connotations of things from different sides and perspectives. Mr. Qian Zhongshu said that Su Shi's technique was a "wheel warfare" and a "Shakespearean metaphor.".
At this point, we can feel a slight difference between Song poetry and Tang poetry, right? In fact, what Su Shi expresses in this poem is not only about speed, but also about a lot of life thinking. Next, he wrote, "The four mountains sway with the wind, but the flowing foam creates a thousand eddies. Although one finds joy in danger, how can one expect the water to praise the autumn river? My life passes by day and night, and I sit and think more than Silla. In my drunken dreams, how can I believe that thorns bury copper camels..." Although the water flow is fast, it cannot match the speed of changes in life. Su Shi has expressed many life's emotions from this life.
Tang people didn't write much about it, Song people wrote a lot about it
The second one was not written much by the Tang Dynasty, but extensively by the Song Dynasty. Some themes may not be easy to write about in poetry in the eyes of the Tang Dynasty, but the Song Dynasty wrote about them. For example, hiccups and stomach problems, would you write them into poetry? At least Tang people don't write much, but Song people really dare to write.
Mei Yaochen, a poet of the Northern Song Dynasty, was a good friend of Ouyang Xiu and later hailed by Liu Kezhuang of the Southern Song Dynasty as the "founder of Song poetry.". Why is he called the "founder"? The poems written by poets before Mei Yaochen were all inspired by the Tang Dynasty, either by Li Shangyin or Bai Juyi, and they followed suit step by step, unable to leave the shadow of Tang poetry. But starting from Mei Yaochen, Song poetry broke free from the barriers of the Tang people and formed its own brand new appearance.
Give an example. Before Mei Yaochen, no one had ever written about lice and fleas in poetry, but Mei Yaochen not only wrote about them, but also wrote them with great interest. He wrote several works about lice, one of which is "Touching lice to catch fleas", which means trying to catch lice on his body, but he didn't catch the lice and caught a flea.
In terms of the theme of poetry, this is something that Tang people did not write. Perhaps some people may think that writing such poetry has no aesthetic significance, is it a bit boring? But we will find that with pioneering writing like Mei Yaochen, the Song people began to pay more attention to daily life in their poetry, and they discovered poetry in places where we felt there was no poetry.
The most typical one is Yang Wanli. Yang Wanli's poetry often makes people smile knowingly. This kind of interest is called logical interest, which is a very important characteristic of Song poetry. Yang Wanli wrote a poem titled "Frozen Flies": "Through the window, I occasionally saw a negative greeting fly, rubbing its feet against the morning sun. The shadow of the sun was about to move, but suddenly it flew down to the sound of the other window." In winter, I accidentally saw a fly basking in the sun, its feet constantly caressing, feeling the warmth of the morning sun. When the sunlight was moving and it was almost out of sight, it seemed to have already felt it, so it flew to another window to continue basking in the sun. This is a very subtle detail in daily life, which Yang Wanli not only observed but also wrote into his poetry. In this poem, we do not find this fly very annoying at all, but rather very cute. Such daily themes frequently appear in Song poetry. In Japan, Yang Wanli's poetry is very popular and closely related to this kind of lifestyle interest.
What Tang people are not good at, Song people are good at writing
The third one is something that Tang people are not good at, while Song people are good at writing. What are Tang people not good at? Tang people are not good at reasoning in poetry. The Tang poem "Xingxiang Linglong" mainly evokes emotional resonance among readers. Poetic sentiment is an important tradition in Chinese poetry, and some scholars even say that Chinese literature as a whole is a "lyrical tradition.". But besides expressing emotions, can we also make some sense?
It is obvious that the Song people achieved new success in expressing their opinions on poetry. For example, when viewed horizontally, there are peaks on the side of the mountain, varying in distance and height. They do not recognize the true face of Mount Lu and only rely on being in this mountain. Did Su Shi express his emotions when he wrote this poem? It's basically not lyrical. But when it comes to writing about Mount Lu, how does Li Bai write it? The flying stream descends three thousand feet, suspected to be the Milky Way falling into the sky. It is full of admiration and emotion. And Su Shi wrote about his thoughts. That is to say, in the Song Dynasty, poetry can be used to reason and express the poet's rational understanding of the world.
We have said that the Tang Dynasty was an era of manual copying, and the Song Dynasty was an era of printing, so Song people could see much more books than Tang people. Therefore, the knowledge structure of Song people was also richer than that of Tang people. Many literati in the Song Dynasty were often a trinity of politicians, writers, and thinkers. For example, Zhu Xi, a master of Neo Confucianism, was both a scholar, an official, and a poet. Mr. Qian Zhongshu once said that Zhu Xi was "a great poet among Daoists", and could also be said to be "a Daoist among poets".
For example, Zhu Xi's "Reflections on Reading". The first poem, "Half an acre of Fangtang, with the sky and clouds hovering together, asks the canal how clear it is, so that there is a source of fresh water." On the surface, it is about writing about the scenery, but what he truly wants to express is that his thoughts and learning should be like the water in the pond, constantly bringing in new things. The second song is also like this: "Last night, the spring water by the river was flowing, and the majestic and majestic ship was light. It has always been a waste of pushing force, and this day the midstream flows freely." On the surface, it is writing about a natural phenomenon, but in reality, it is about the principle of learning. Learning is like the river, the more accumulated, the more problems will be solved.
What Tang people cannot write, Song people can write
The fourth one is something that Tang people could not write, but Song people could write. For example, Su Shi once wrote a game poem for his brother-in-law Cheng Zhicai, titled "The Rhyme of Xihe Zhengfu": "The former residence of Jiange is separated by the imperial palace, and the citrus fruits, ginger, and ferns are intertwined with the Jing Jian. Strange and sweet, he hangs the Ji ancient pipe, and dares to lift the hook and gold rod. He has returned the cultivated land to supply the Gao straw, and the official and noble work, Gu Gui Gan Gu Gao Zhan Guan." The so-called "rhyme of one character" means that the initial consonants of the characters used in the entire poem are the same. Of course, our Mandarin pronunciation is different now, but Su Shi's pronunciation at that time was the same for all 56 characters in this poem. He used his profound education to joke with people in the form of poetry.
Song people have a very playful spirit in poetry writing. Poetry, in addition to being a tool for expressing emotions and a carrier of reasoning, was also a display of abundant intelligence in the Song Dynasty. So in Su Shi's poetry collection, we can see the tendency of the Song people to "use words as poetry", and those peculiar forms of works that the Tang people may not have thought could be written in this way.
What Tang people cannot write, Song people can write. In addition to the "word game" mentioned earlier, there are also differences caused by different spiritual worlds. We can see that the Tang Dynasty was overthrown and there were no "Tang remnants". But the downfall of the Song Dynasty was different. The Mongol soldiers marched south all the way, causing the emperor to flee all the way. In the end, the Song Dynasty declared its downfall in the Battle of Yashan. At that time, a large number of scholars committed suicide. They believed that the downfall of the Song Dynasty was "the downfall of the world", losing their value of self existence, and some became the remnants of the Song Dynasty. Compared with poets in the late Tang Dynasty, poets in the late Song Dynasty had a more tragic situation and a more melancholic mood. For example, the well-known Wen Tianxiang has a very special identity. He was the top scorer of the Song Dynasty and felt that he had an inescapable responsibility towards this country. In the process of fighting against the Mongol army, he was captured by the Yuan army and went south all the way to Yashan. He watched with his own eyes as the Song Dynasty army was defeated by the Yuan army, feeling very painful in his heart. After being imprisoned in Dadu, many people came to persuade him to surrender, including his family, friends, colleagues, and even the young emperor of the Song Dynasty, Emperor Gong of Song. However, Wen Tianxiang swore to death not to surrender. It can be seen that after the influence and cultivation of Neo Confucianism, this group of scholars represented by Wen Tianxiang are full of absolute loyalty to the country. This mentality is not present in Tang Dynasty. With such a cultural background, Wen Tianxiang was able to write works like "Crossing the Sea of Odds": "After a hard encounter, the fighting spirit was scattered around the four stars. The mountains and rivers were shattered, the wind was floating, the background was floating and the rain was beating the duckweed. The fearful beachhead spoke of fear, and the sea of Odds sighed. Who has never died in life since ancient times? Keep your heart to reflect on history." The author experienced the downfall of the Song Dynasty, feeling extremely sad in his heart. Looking back on his life, he was unable to save the decline, and could only express his aspirations through death. This was his proactive choice for his own destiny. Unfortunately, he didn't even have a chance to commit suicide. From this poem, we can not only feel the great sentiment of Wen Tianxiang, but also see the differences between Song culture and Tang culture.
The Controversy over Tang and Song Poetry
Professor Miao Yue from Sichuan University once wrote a brilliant article titled "On Song Poetry", which contained a very insightful comment. He said: "Tang poetry is won by rhyme, so it is elegant and elegant, and precious contains emptiness and spirituality; Song poetry is won by meaning, so it is refined and profound. The beauty of Tang poetry lies in love, so it is plump; the beauty of Song poetry lies in qi and bone, so it is thin and vigorous. Tang poetry is like peony and begonia, magnificent and colorful; Song poetry is like cold plum and autumn chrysanthemums, with a serene and cold fragrance. Tang poetry is like eating lychees, with a single entrance, it is sweet and fragrant on the cheeks; Song poetry is like eating olives." Reading Tang poetry is like eating lychees, and you can immediately taste its sweetness when you put it in your mouth; Reading Song poetry may seem a bit astringent at first, but the more you chew it, the more delicious it becomes.
In academic history, there are many similar statements. For example, Yan Yu of the Southern Song Dynasty particularly praised Tang poetry in his "Canglang Poetry Talk". He said that Tang poetry is "like a gazelle hanging its horn, with no trace to seek", "penetrating and exquisite, unable to dock, like the sound of the air, the color of the moon in the water, the image in the mirror, with endless meaning and meaning.". He didn't like the poetry of the Song Dynasty and said, "In modern times, the nobles created unique interpretations, so they used words as poetry, discussions as poetry, and talent as poetry."
This debate has persisted from the Southern Song Dynasty to the present day. At the beginning of Qian Zhongshu's "Tan Yi Lu", it is said that "poetry is divided into Tang and Song dynasties". He said, "Tang poetry excels in style and charm, while Song poetry excels in thinking and reasoning." In his view, there are only two types of poetry in the world, one called Tang poetry and the other called Song poetry. The difference between Tang and Song poetry is not just about dynasties, but also about the differences in style and nature. It means the difference between Tang poetry and Song poetry, not about dynasties, but about tastes, and about the differences in style and nature. He believes that Tang poetry does not necessarily have to be written by Tang people, and Song poetry does not necessarily have to be written by Song people. Not only can people before Tang write Tang poetry, but they can also write Song poetry. People after Song can also write Tang poetry and Song poetry. To sum up, it can be summed up as follows: "Madam's temperament, each has its own bias. When it comes to vocal poetry, those who are wise are close to the Tang Dynasty, and those who are Shen Qian are close to the Song Dynasty.". This passage is very eloquent.
In addition, as people age, their preferences for poetry may also change. Young friends may be more likely to like Tang poetry, but as they grow older and appreciate life more deeply, they may become more fond of Song poetry. Those with less knowledge tend to like Tang poetry, while those with better knowledge tend to prefer Song poetry. Song poetry has higher requirements and thresholds for readers than Tang poetry.
Is Tang poetry good or Song poetry good? Everyone is arguing endlessly, and this debate continues until today. It is interesting that those who say that Song poetry is good generally agree with Tang poetry, while those who say that Tang poetry is good may say that Song poetry is not good. In fact, this is just a personal aesthetic preference, and we should have the ability and breadth to appreciate the beauty of different quantities.
Today, when we read classical poetry, we are more focused on drawing wisdom from it. Pursuing poetry and distance is often not about turning your life into poetry and distance, but rather about poetry being present in your daily life. When you need it, it can give you strength and nourish you. I think this may be the most important thing poetry has left us today.
Biography of Thinkers
Hou Tijian is a professor in the Chinese Department of Fudan University. Mainly engaged in the teaching and research of literature and documents in the Song Dynasty, ancient Chinese literary studies, and the history of Chinese poetry, he has authored works such as "Liu Kezhuang's Literary World - An Investigation of the Late Song Literary Ecology" and "The Identity of Scholars and the Study of Southern Song Poetry and Literature". He has published more than 50 papers in publications such as "Literary Review", "Literary Research", and "Literary Heritage".
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