Chapter 21 Section 2 Poems of the Mid-Qing Dynasty
In the middle of the Qing Dynasty (Qianlong and Jiaqing eras), it was a period of stable development of the Qing Dynasty. Academically, the "Qianjia School" was formed, and great achievements were made in the research and compilation of ancient books.There are great novels in fiction writing.There are also not small achievements in poetry creation, and it is an era when poets are born in large numbers.
Emperor Qianlong should be mentioned here, because he likes to write poems everywhere, and everyone is familiar with the so-called "Qianlong Legacy".He once said that "poetry is the most learned in his life", he admired Du Fu the most, and was a passionate poetry lover.In his later years, he claimed to have composed more than 40,000 poems in his life. In terms of quantity alone, he may be the "number one" poet in China.Many of his poems put on the airs of the emperor and have no special features, so no one has ever mentioned him in the history of literature.In fact, some of his poems are quite good.Let's read a few selected poems from his "The Tribes of Mongolia".One:
This is a picture of grazing returning at dusk. Anyone who is familiar with pastoral life knows that it is common for children to look for cattle on horseback, and they can always find the cattle based on experience.Second:
The child was riding a camel, eating milk cakes in his mouth, and was very happy.Sometimes it would fall down and land on the soft grass, and he would playfully imitate his father and dance the Omen Dance (the name of the Mongolian dance).The writing is lively and lovely, just like a custom painting of herdsmen.Third:
After hunting and returning, they set up a bonfire to roast the fresh and fat venison, took out the leather wine bag (huntuo) to get drunk, and then got on the horse and galloped away in pursuit of Gu Hong.This vividly draws the brave and fierce Mongolian national character and its unique way of life.The poem exudes a strong grassland atmosphere, which cannot be written by those weak scholars.
Shen Deqian (1673-1769 A.D.) was a poet with great influence during the Qianlong period.His name is Queshi, his name is Guiyu, and he is from Suzhou.He advocated that writing ancient poems should be based on Han and Wei Dynasties, and writing modern poems should be based on Tang poetry.He advocated "style theory", that is, the content of poems should be "gentle and honest", and poetry should pay attention to rhythm and tone.According to his standards, he has edited several books such as "The Source of Ancient Poetry" and "Bie Cai of Tang Poetry", which are still in print today.When he was an official in the court, he had a close relationship with Emperor Qianlong and was a poet friend.After retirement, Qianlong summoned him when passing through Suzhou.Some of Shen Deqian's poems are very novel and ingenious, such as "Passing Xuzhou":
Xuzhou is now Xuchang, Henan.This kind of summer scene is common: clear water flows in the pond (jujue, the sound of running water), and weeping willows cover the plains.There is emerald green everywhere, and the eyes are full of vitality, which makes people feel as if the beard and eyebrows have been dyed green, and the sound of cicadas will accompany you through Xuzhou all the way.This couplet is novel in imagination and not out of the ordinary, which makes people feel fresh and appropriate.His five masterpieces "Evening Sunshine" are also quite innovative:
The dark clouds opened gaps to reveal the setting sun, and there were still scattered raindrops falling on the ground, which could be seen as a light rain.The old farmer is still drinking oxen to plow the field, and there are still raindrops on the plowshares.This song is also written vividly in the second couplet.Shen Deqian's greatest influence is his theory of poetry and the anthology of poems he compiled in the past dynasties. He has no particularly famous poems handed down to the world.
When it comes to Zheng Banqiao, almost everyone knows that he is famous for his paintings and calligraphy, but he is actually a poet.His name is Xie, his courtesy name is Kerou, and his nickname is Banqiao. He was born in Xinghua, Jiangsu.He never flaunted any faction, and never put on an air when he wrote poems. He said what he had to say, straight from his heart, with a clear distinction between his likes and dislikes, and people loved to read it.Let's read one of his poems:
This is a poem he inscribed on a painting when he was a county magistrate in Weixian County, Shandong Province.He was born in poverty, and it is commendable for him to be an official without forgetting the sufferings of the people.Another poem of his "Inscription on Bamboo and Stone Painting" is also popular: