The late Tang Dynasty poet Du Mu's epic poems have always enjoyed a high reputation, and his seven-sentence "Chibi" is a unique style and popular:
Folding the sand iron is not sold, and it will be polished and washed to recognize the front dynasty. Dongfeng does not go with Zhou Lang, and Tong Que Chun deep locks Er Qiao.
Chibi, or Chibi Mountain, was where Zhou Yu, the governor of Eastern Wu, broke the Cao bing and almost "destroyed the strong captives" (Su Shi's "Nian Nu Jiao Chibi Huaigu"). However, there are actually four places in the present-day Chibi, all in Hubei, specifically one in Puxi, one in Huanggang, one in Wuchang, and one in Hanyang. Historically, where chibi was the Chibi of the Chibi soldiers, for a long time, there were many opinions, and there was no consensus, but most people thought that Puqi Chibi was reliable.
The Chibi written by Du Mu in this poem should be Huanggang Chibi. Although the poem is not indicated, Du Mu served as an assassin in Huanggang for more than two years, and three poems are written about Chibi, such as "Huangzhou Sends Li Yuezhou" with "Wulin Fangcao is far away, Chibi Jianfankai." The past is empty and hated, and the East Ying will not return" verse shows that it is written in Huanggang Chibi. The Song Dynasty Wang Xiangzhi's book "Jisheng of Youdi" also included Du Mu's poem "Chibi" in the "Huanggang Chibi Poem".
The Battle of Chibi in history laid the foundation for the establishment of the three kingdoms of Wei, Shu and Wu. More than six hundred years have passed, and in the ninth century AD, the poet Du Mu came to Huanggang Chibi, and with the ancient hanging and the present, he wrote this poem with infinite taste and intriguing chewing.
First, the work is at the beginning, and the concept is exquisite
In general, the epic poems of Yong are often the first scene and then the love, and always take the victory of the mountains and rivers as the beginning of the history of Yong. But Du Mu was not, jumping out of the previous person's stubbornness and making a unique machine.
"The iron that folds the sand and sinks is not sold, and the self-grinding and washing recognizes the former dynasty." As soon as the poem is written, it depicts a detail, starting from a historical relic, which is very vivid. Originally, there were many people who could write about the Battle of Chibi, such as Sun Liu's alliance, Zhuge Chu's plot, Zhou Lang's use of troops, the burning of warships, Cao Cao's defeat in the north, etc., all of which can constitute the theme of poetry. But the poet gave up all this, only wrote a piece of broken halberd, and wrote carefully, it seems that at this moment, the poet is traveling through the ancient battlefield, strolling on the river, wandering on the side of the cliff, suddenly found the relics of ancient times, carefully polished and washed, recognizing that this is a piece of broken halberd in the Three Kingdoms. So the poet saw the sadness of the object, remembered the past, and caused "nostalgia for the past". In this way, the poetry develops very reasonably, very naturally.
Of course, we don't have to and won't examine the authenticity of this broken sword, because this is poetry. However, this piece of broken sword leads the reader to the historical environment of the Battle of Chibi.
This beginning, the next stroke is novel, the technique is unique, the image is concrete, and it can firmly grasp the reader's heart. At the same time, it can also very naturally and skillfully cause the following, laying a solid foundation for the following discussion. This shows the subtlety and meticulousness of the poet's conception.
Second, be good at discussion, and see the big in the small
If the first and second sentences of the poem are the cause of interest, then the three or four sentences of the poem are purely argumentative. However, the wise poet does not discuss things on the basis of facts and reasons, but expresses his feelings with the help of vivid language and representative things. The poet imagines that if there is no southeast wind in the middle of winter, the Battle of Chibi, Zhou Yu may not win, Erqiao may not be saved, and Cao Cao's Tongquetai may have added two more beautiful women of national color and talent.
According to the Zizhi Tongjian HanJi, in the thirteenth year of Jian'an, Cao Cao claimed that 800,000 horses and horses, along the east of the river, advancing by land and water, directly approaching Sun Liu, can be described as invincible, sharp and unstoppable. So Sun Quan and Liu Bei formed an alliance to fight against Cao Cao together, took ten ships of the Shipwreck, carried oil-soaked reeds and dry firewood, and marched to the north bank of the Yangtze River, and when they were two miles away from Cao Cao's serial warships, they lit firewood and grass, and when the "southeast wind was urgent", "the fiery wind was fierce, the ship was like an arrow, burning the northern ship, extending to the shore camp." This is what the poet calls "Dongfeng" and "Zhou Lang".
"Tongque", gaotai name, Jian'an fifteen years Cao Cao built in Yicheng (邺城, in present-day Linzhang, Hebei). A pavilion is built on the platform, and the tree on it is decorated with a bronze finch that is five feet high, so it is called the copper sparrow platform.
"Two Joes", two beautiful women of Eastern Wu, "Joe" through the "bridge". According to the "Chronicle of the Three Kingdoms and The Biography of Zhou Yu", Sun Ce occupied Jingzhou, "The two daughters of the Duke of Shideqiao, both of whom are national colors." Cezina Bridge, Yuna Bridge. ”
The poet does not directly say that the country was destroyed and the family was destroyed, but expressed it in the specific event of imagining Erqiao's captivity and humiliation, making the poem subtle and euphemistic and intriguing. Although Erqiao was only a noblewoman of Eastern Wu and seemed to have nothing to do with the Chibi War, eastern Wu was not dead, and they would never belong to Cao Cao. Once the "Tongque Spring Deep Lock Erqiao", it can be known that Eastern Wu has perished. Because of their status and status, they actually represent the dignity of the state of Eastern Wu. Their humiliation meant that the lives of Eastern Wu were destroyed, and the Jiangshan Sheji was no longer preserved.
The good thing about these two poems is that although they belong to historical theory, they do not use abstract arguments and logical reasoning; although the author is reasoning, they are not boring, but allude philosophy to concrete images. Erqiao was humiliated, although it was a small matter, but his personal relationship was social, so the poem was written in this way, it can see the big in the small, and the individual embodiment is general, so that people can glimpse and know the whole leopard, which can be described as profound.
These are two brilliant arguments, but there are people who have their own opinions, and even those who are angry and reproachful. Song Ren Xu Yan's "Yan Zhou Poetry" Yun:
Du Mu's poem "Chibi" ,...... It means that Chibi cannot set fire to it, and cao gong seizes the second qiao and puts it on the copper bird platform. Sun's hegemony is related to this battle. The survival of the society, the lives of the people do not ask, only fear of being caught Erqiao, it can be seen that The measures do not know likes and dislikes.
Of course, this "visible" is despicable and shallow, and neither the views nor the attitude are desirable, because Xu equates poetry with historical facts. If everywhere must be written according to historical facts, then Tongquetai was built after the Chibi War, which was built in the thirteenth year of Jian'an (208), and until the fifteenth year of Jian'an (210), Cao Cao built Tongquetai in Yecheng, and it is even more impossible to allow the verse "Tongque Chun Deep Lock Erqiao" to appear. However, poetry is poetry after all, and it is also virtual and real, with words near and far- and far-reaching, and words with deep meanings, and good poetry is no different. No wonder Feng Jiwu, who later wrote annotated Du Mu's poems, rose up to refute Xu:
Poetry should not be discussed in this way, and this Naomura's pedantic reading of history is not enough to be far from the words of the poets? (Notes on Fan Chuan's Collected Poems)
Ji Yun also pointed out in the "Compendium of the Complete Books of the Four Libraries":
(Xu Yan) ridiculed Du Mu's "Chibi" poem not to say that Sheji survived, but said Erqiao, not knowing that Big Qiao was Sun Ce's wife, Xiao Qiao was Zhou Yu's wife, and the two entered Wei, that is, Wu's death could be known. The poet did not want to question, so he changed his words.
What these two people have said is very reasonable, and it can really explain the problem. According to Xu's view, it is only necessary to say that "once the soul of the society is thrown away" or "the country is broken and the family dies in this dynasty", there is no need to write anything more about "Tongque Chun Shen Lock ErQiao", so that it is clear that the living beings are in line with the rhythm and can "know likes and dislikes", but such a poem is difficult to call it poetry anymore, because the poem itself has no room for aftertaste. Hu Zeng has a poetry cloud:
The fire burned the Wei Emperor's banner in the west, and Zhou Lang opened the country when the tiger opened. The soldiers did not fake the long sword, and the hero million division was defeated. (Chibi)
The same tang dynasty poet, the same title "Chibi", and Hu Zeng's poems compared to Du Mu's poems, the artistic standard is not known to be a few points different. Li Bai also wrote a poem about Chibi:
The two dragons fought between male and female, and the Chibi Building ship swept the ground. The fire shone brightly on the sea of clouds, and Zhou Yu broke the Cao Gong here. ("Chibi Song Farewell")
From the point of view of Chibi Nostalgia alone, these four sentences are far less subtle than Du Mu's "Chibi" poem. The reasons for the three poems, the poems of Hu Zeng and Li Bai are straight and revealing, lack rich content, and have no room for aftertaste after reading, while Du Mu's works are curved and hidden, and the words are rich and meaningful, giving people profound inspiration. Luo Guanzhong, who later compiled the Romance of the Three Kingdoms, took useful inspiration from Du Mu's poems, and in the novel, he fictionalized the plot of Cao Cao's naming and wanting to please "Erqiao", which highlighted Cao Cao's character even more (see "Feasting on the Yangtze River Cao Cao Fu Poem").
Third, it is wonderful to imagine, humorous and witty
Du Muyong's epic poem is good at overturning the case, often from the opposite side, imagining novelty. This point has long been discussed by previous generations:
Pastoralism is different from others. For example, "Chibi" cloud: "The east wind does not cooperate with Zhou Lang, and the copper bird spring deep locks the second Joe". "Title Shang Shan Sihao Temple" Yun: "The Southern Army does not favor the left sleeve, and the four old An Liu is to destroy Liu." "They all say the opposite. (See Wu Jingxu's "Poetry of past dynasties" quoting Hu Zai's "Yu Yin Cong Dialect of Xiangxi")
Another example is the poem "Title Wujiang Pavilion":
The victorious and defeated soldiers are unexpected, and the shame and humiliation are boys. Jiangdong's sons are multi-talented, and their comeback is unknown.
These poems are all conceived from the opposite side, which have never been issued before and have not been said by others, which is indeed very novel and peculiar, and this is where Du Mu is superior to ordinary people.
Speaking of Du Mu's "Chibi" poem, Zhou Yu is the actual commander of the Chibi War, young and promising, talented, and wise and courageous, which can be said to be known to everyone. However, if it were not for the "southeast wind rush", he might not have been able to win. Therefore, the poet thus conceived of its opposite, no longer capitalizing Zhou Lang's "majestic and heroic hair, lupine scarf, talking and laughing, and the robbery is gone" (Su Shi's "Nian Nu Jiao Chibi Huaigu") Although the reasons for the victory of Chibi are complex and multifaceted, far more than "Dongfeng" and "Ben", Du Mu's discussion from this is vivid, interesting, and inspiring. Through witty verses, we see serious political content. People can think of Zhou Lang's victory and his defeat instead; from Erqiao's humiliation to the fall of Dongwu Mountains and Rivers. From the negative idea, establishing a new perspective, and adopting a humorous tone to write about major historical events, it gives people a sense of lightness and liveliness, but also makes people deeply inspired, which is an important factor in this poem's differentiation from other epic poems, thus forming its own unique style.
The famous poet Zang Kejia once said humorously when commenting on Su Shi's "Former Chibi Fu": "He (referring to Su Shi, the introducer's note) swims in a fake Chibi, but what he writes is a good article." (See the classical literature section of Reading and Appreciation [i]) Why is this not the case for Du Mu, who was born more than 230 years before Su Shi? What is written in the poem is not the Chibi of the historical Chibi War, but the poem is a rare good poem.