Chapter 20 Chapter 10 Poems of the Qing Dynasty
Gu Yanwu, Wang Fuzhi, and Huang Zongxi were famous scholars in the late Ming and early Qing Dynasties, and their thoughts and works had a great influence on later generations.Just as Gong Zizhen said, "I have never been an adult, but my appearance is not specific." These three scholars are also famous poets.
Gu Yanwu (1613-1682 A.D.), born in Ning, was born in Tinglin Town, Kunshan, Jiangsu Province, so people used to call him Mr. Tinglin.He participated in the anti-Qing uprising in the late Ming Dynasty, but refused to cooperate with the rulers of the Qing Dynasty after the failure, and devoted himself to traveling around and conducting academic research.The following five-character ancient poem "Jingwei" expresses his patriotism:
The first four sentences are to ask Jingwei Bird: There are many injustices in the world, why do you want to fill the sea and not only suffer in vain?The next four sentences are the poet's words through Jingwei's mouth: he is also Jingwei who fills the sea, and he will die without complaint.The last two sentences are borrowed from Que and Yan to satirize those who sell their country and body for glory, ridiculing them for forgetting national interests and only building their own comfort zone.
Huang Zongxi (AD 1610-1695), courtesy name Taichong, nickname Lizhou, was born in Yuyao, Zhejiang.He also participated in the struggle against the Qing Dynasty. After the fall of the Ming Dynasty, he refused to be an official for the Manchu Qing Dynasty, devoted himself to writing, and eventually became a master.His "Being Sick for Ten Days, Feelings from Idle Books" expresses his painful feelings after the death of the Ming Dynasty:
The author believes that it is difficult to live in China after the fall of the Ming Dynasty, and feels ashamed for not being able to die for the country.In the dream, I cried bitterly and was awakened by my son; when calling for the soul of a deceased friend, a bird landed on the sacrificial feast, imagining that it might be the soul of a friend.Many close friends who died can be included in "The Story of Zhongjie", but there are also many friends who betrayed and surrendered, and it is too many to write a letter about breaking up with them (using Ji Kang's "Book on Breaking Up with Shan Juyuan").Qu Zhi counted that he had experienced the danger of dying many times, and now he barely survived and was entangled in illness, suffering both mental and physical pain.Many of his poems are full of such patriotic spirit.
Qian Qianyi was originally a famous scholar in the late Ming Dynasty, an official to the Minister of Rites, but he failed the test of life and death, surrendered to the Qing Dynasty, and was criticized for being unfaithful in the late festival.He is knowledgeable and poetic, and has a great influence.Du Fu's poems annotated by him are still an important reference book for studying Du Fu.
Wu Weiye (1609-1672 A.D.), styled Jungong and nicknamed Meicun, was born in Taicang, Jiangsu.He is also a person spanning the Ming and Qing dynasties.His poems are broad in content, high in achievement and great in title.He has many famous poems, the most famous of which is the seven-character song "Yuanyuanqu" which satirizes Wu Sangui's traitorous behavior.The poem begins directly with the theme:
"Dinghu" refers to the dead emperor (it is said that the Yellow Emperor cast a tripod in Jingshan, and after the tripod was completed, he ascended to heaven on a dragon, so the place is called Dinghu), here refers to the place where Emperor Chongzhen Zhu Youjian committed suicide when Li Zicheng entered Beijing Coal mountain matter.Wu Sangui led the Qing soldiers into the pass, defeated Li Zicheng to regain Beijing, and then marched west.All his troops wore white mourning clothes for Chongzhen.It is said that Wu Sangui was planning to surrender to Li Zicheng, but when he heard that his concubine Chen Yuanyuan had been snatched by Li Zicheng (one said it was Liu Zongmin), he changed his mind in a rage to join the Manchu Qing, and led Qing soldiers into the pass to attack Li Zicheng. "A beautiful woman is not my love" is imitating Wu Sangui's tone, saying that I don't care about losing a woman, the main reason is that the traitor Li Zicheng is too lewd and corrupt.This is to ridicule Wu Sangui with irony.Wu Sangui quickly wiped out Li Zicheng's uprising army and occupied its base area (Yellow Turban is the peasant uprising army at the end of Han Dynasty, and Heishan is the base area of the peasant army at the end of Han Dynasty, here we refer to Li Zicheng).After commemorating Chongzhen and his father Wu Xiang, he met Chen Yuanyuan (all 38 members of Wu Sangui's family were killed by Li Zicheng. Chen Yuanyuan's whereabouts are temporarily unknown, not because Wu Sangui didn't want to see him).The next section of the poem describes how Wu Sangui married Chen Yuanyuan.Chen Yuanyuan was originally a lotus picker in Suzhou, and later became a famous prostitute and even entered the palace as a palace maid.She came out of the palace and became a singing girl in the family of the noble relatives, and was given to Wu Sangui by the noble relatives (Tian Hongyu, the father of Chongzhen Emperor Tian Guifei).After defeating Li Zicheng, Wu Sangui found Chen Yuanyuan and held a grand welcoming ceremony.Later, Chen Yuanyuan accompanied Wu Sangui on an expedition to Yunnan, until Wu Sangui proclaimed himself king and emperor, and enjoyed all the glory and wealth.The poem says:
Things like wives and concubines should not be mixed up with the rise and fall of a country, but Wu Sangui, a "hero", puts beauties first, and he does not hesitate to have his whole family killed, leaving a woman's name in history .These poems can be described as ironic.At the end of the poem, Wu Sangui is compared to Wu Sangui by using the example of Fu Chai, the king of Wu, who indulged in wine and sex, which led to the ruin of the country and family, and ridiculed him for dreaming a dream and leaving a notoriety through the ages.The content of this poem may not be consistent with historical facts, but poetry can do so.Wu Sangui first betrayed the country and then the Qing Dynasty. He is a sinner through the ages and should be reviled.
After Wu Weiye, the most famous poet is Wang Shizhen.Wang Shizhen (1634-1711 A.D.), courtesy name Yishang, nicknamed Ruanting, also named Yuyangshanren, was born in Xincheng, Shandong, and was an official to the Ministry of Punishment.His poems pursue a fresh and elegant style, and his seven-character quatrains are particularly good.Let's watch his "Jinan Works in Early Spring":
This is a description of the spring scenery of Jinan, the spring city.Pitang is a pond.Spring is cloudy and sunny, and it suddenly cleared up at this time, and cool spring water flowed out of the pond under the sun.Jinan is known as "every family has spring water, and every household has weeping poplars".After the spring snow, the shadow of Qianfo Mountain in the south of the city is reflected in the city, which is pleasing to the eye everywhere.Read one of his "Zhenzhou Quatrains" again:
Zhenzhou is now Yizheng, Jiangsu.Most of the people living on the river bank are fishermen, and sparse willow trees and ponds are dotted everywhere.In the evening, the wind is calm and the sea bass is bustlingly bought and sold in the mangrove forest in late autumn.This is the scenery of Yumi Township, which is depicted concisely and neatly, bringing vitality out of tranquility.Wang Shizhen is also a poetic theorist. He admires Tang poetry and emphasizes that poetry should be fresh and bright, with subtle language and charm.This is the famous "Shen Yun Theory", which has considerable influence.
Poets in the early Qing Dynasty included Shi Runzhang and Song Wan, known as "Southern Shi and Northern Song Dynasty", Zha Shenxing, Zhao Zhixin, etc. Although they were not the first-rate poets at that time, they were quite famous.
