Lecture on Han, Wei, Six Dynasties Poetry

Author: Ye Jiaying / Country: Mainland China
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-06-01
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Section 3: "Green Green Riverside Grass" and "Today's Good Banquet" in "The Nineteen Ancient Poems" Some poems have long been considered to express sentiments that are not entirely proper. However, I believe that when examining a poem, one must avoid looking only at its surface. Du Fu wrote "Two Poems of the Qujiang," composed when the An-Shi Rebellion had not yet been suppressed and Emperor Su Zong had just returned to Chang'an. The poems state, "Every morning I till the fields, daily mortgaging my spring clothes, and every time I return to the riverbank, drunk." Many people disapproved of this, for Du Fu harbored ideals of "serving the ruler like Yao and Shun" and "competing with Ji and Qi." How could he write such words of indulgence when the court was in disarray and in dire need of revival? However, if you conclude from these poems that Du Fu abandoned his ideals and sought immediate pleasure, you would misunderstand Du Fu! Human nature is inherently weak, and if you claim you have never experienced weakness or disappointment, or that you are always a towering and perfect figure, you are lying! If you constantly speak such hypocritical words and form the habit of deceiving others, then you have fallen. If the entire society becomes infected with this hypocrisy and dishonesty, then the entire society will also fall. Truly great poets never shy away from expressing their own weaknesses and disappointments. For example, Du Fu witnessed the corruption of Emperor Su Zong's court and the decline of the Tang Dynasty's power. Not only was he helpless, but he was also soon exiled from the capital. How could he not feel disappointed? "Two Poems of the Qujiang" truly reflect the poet's complex emotions at that time. If you wish to learn more about these two poems in detail, you may refer to the book "Collected Essays on Poetry by Ye Jialing" for the chapter "On the Evolution of Du Fu's Seven-Character Regal Verses and His Legacy of Innovation."
The same is true for some poems in "The Nineteen Ancient Poems." Now, let us examine "Green Green Riverside Grass," the second poem in "The Anthology of Poems Selected by Emperor Wen of the Southern Dynasties." I have mentioned before that "The Nineteen Ancient Poems" skillfully employs allusion and association, and this poem is a prime example.
Green green the grass by the river,
Lush lush the willows in the garden.
Graceful the maiden on the tower,
Bright bright her window.
Elegant her rouge and powder,
Delicate her white hands.
Once a courtesan, now a wife of a roving man,
The roving man returns not,
Leaving her alone to guard the empty bed.
"Green green the grass by the river,
Lush lush the willows in the garden" depict the scenery of spring. "Green green" refers to the color of grass and trees; "lush lush" describes the abundance of vegetation. These two lines serve as an allusion to evoke emotions, much like the opening lines of "The Song of the Magpie" in the Book of Songs: "The magpie sings on the riverbank,
On the island in the river.
Fair and gentle the lady,
The gentleman's delight." This is a resonance between the life of nature and human life, leading to a connection between the external world and the inner self. Spring is the most beautiful season for plants and trees in their lives. When you see these vibrant life forms flourish so vigorously, you too will feel an inner longing for and pursuit of beauty. I can give another example. Wang Changling of the Tang Dynasty wrote a poem titled "Lament in the Inner Quarters," which goes:
The young wife in the inner quarters knows not sorrow,
On a green tower she adorns herself for spring.
Suddenly she sees the willows by the roadside turn green,
And regrets teaching her husband to seek a fiefdom.
This young woman was originally unaware of the sorrows of the world, but when she ascended the tower on a spring day and gazed into the distance, she saw the green willows by the roadside and suddenly longed for her husband who had gone in search of official position, her heart filled with sorrow. This sorrow was triggered by the arrival of spring. "Green green the grass by the river,
Lush lush the willows in the garden" is the same. These lines describe the scenery outside the tower. Next, the poem introduces the people inside the tower:
Graceful the maiden on the tower,
Bright bright her window.
"Graceful" describes the beauty of her posture, while "bright bright" describes her radiant appearance. Additionally, you must pay attention to the word "window." The scenery outside the tower is so beautiful, and the maiden inside is equally beautiful. When the poet writes "bright bright her window," the beauty of these two life forms suddenly merges into one. This is the skillful use of allusion in "The Nineteen Ancient Poems"—gradually drawing out the evocative elements and then suddenly bringing them together.
Below, he writes:
Elegant her rouge and powder,
Delicate her white hands.
This maiden is not only beautiful but also exquisitely adorned. "Elegant" also describes her beauty, while "delicate" refers to her slender and white fingers. Moreover, notice that the adjectives "elegant" and "delicate" used here, like the "graceful" and "bright" in the previous lines, are all (repeated characters), further enhancing the beauty of her posture. At the same time, you must know that "elegant her rouge and powder,
Delicate her white hands" is not merely describing her beautiful posture but also carries many implications.
In ancient China, there was a saying: "A man dies for a friend who appreciates him, and a woman adorns herself for a man who loves her." A person must fulfill the meaning and value of their life. In Chinese tradition, a man's worth lies in being recognized and employed by others, and many spend their lives pursuing this ideal, including unrestrained geniuses like Li Bai. But where does a woman's meaning and value lie? It lies in being loved by a man, so a woman's adornment is always for the one who loves her. "Elegant her rouge and powder,
Delicate her white hands" — this maiden adorns herself so beautifully, and this act also implies her pursuit of emotional connection.
Section 5: Cao Pi
When discussing Cao Pi, the Emperor Wen of Wei, I would like to refer you to some materials. First, Zhong Rong's critique of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi in "Poetic Critiques"; second, the discussions about Cao Pi and Cao Zhi in Liu Xie's "The Art of Rhetoric" in the chapters "On Poetry" and "On Talent and Strategy"; and third, Wang Fuzhi's comparison of Cao Pi and Cao Zhi in "The Collected Notes on Poetry by Jiangzhai."
In Zhong Rong's "Poetic Critiques," Cao Pi's poems are ranked in the middle grade. In the volume of "Poetic Critiques," the first person listed is Qin Jia, and the second is the Emperor Wen of Wei. But what about his brother, Cao Zhi? He is ranked in the top grade. In the volume of "Poetic Critiques," the first is "The Nineteen Ancient Poems," followed by Li Ling, Ban Jieyu, and then Cao Zhi. However, you must know that the author of "The Nineteen Ancient Poems" is unknown; some consider Li Ling's poems to be forgeries; and Ban Jieyu's poems are also thought not to have been written by her. Thus, Cao Zhi becomes the first truly credible author ranked in the top grade. Moreover, "Poetic Critiques" praises Cao Zhi with more admiration than any other poet. It is clear that "Poetic Critiques" considers Cao Pi inferior to Cao Zhi.
What about the opinions of the other critics? Liu Xie's "The Art of Rhetoric" believes both men have their strengths and weaknesses, while Wang Fuzhi's "The Collected Notes on Poetry by Jiangzhai" considers Cao Pi far superior to Cao Zhi.
As I mentioned when discussing ci poetry, in Chinese poetry, there are works by pure-hearted poets and works by rational poets. Among the ci poets, Li Houzhu's works belong to the former, while Yan Shu's belong to the latter. Coincidentally, the Cao Pi we are about to discuss and the Cao Zhi that follows are also of these two different types. Cao Pi is closer to the type of rational poet, while Cao Zhi is closer to the type of pure-hearted poet. Their styles are different. Therefore, before I discuss the critiques of Cao Pi in "Poetic Critiques," "The Art of Rhetoric," and "The Collected Notes on Poetry by Jiangzhai," I will first provide a brief introduction to Cao Pi himself.
Cao Cao became the King of Wei, and naturally, he had many concubines, and his sons were numerous. Cao Pi and Cao Zhi were half-brothers, their mother being Empress Bian. After Cao Pi became emperor, she became Empress Dowager. Empress Bian had four sons, with Cao Pi being the eldest, followed by Cao Zhang, Cao Zhi, and Cao Xiong.
In Chinese history, it is common to see father and son both becoming famous figures, such as the "Three Su" of the Song Dynasty: Su Xun, Su Shi, and Su Zhe, all renowned for their literature. This may be related to heredity, as well as family education. The mothers of these families are often remarkable. Take Su Dongpo, for example. His father enjoyed traveling to visit scholars and often stayed away from home. Therefore, Su Dongpo learned with his mother from a young age. Once, he read the biography of Fan Pang in the "Book of the Later Han." Fan Pang was a famous figure in the Eastern Han Dynasty who was executed for opposing eunuchs. The biography of Fan Pang states that when Fan Pang was arrested, he told his mother, "I am not afraid of death, but after my death, leaving you behind without support makes me very uneasy." His mother replied, "How can one both achieve a noble reputation and enjoy wealth, longevity, and good health? If you can die like this, what regret would there be?"
When Su Dongpo read this, he asked his mother, "If I were Fan Pang in the future, could you be Fan Pang's mother?" Su Dongpo's mother replied, "If you truly can be Fan Pang, then of course I can be Fan Pang's mother!" So you see, a mother's education has a profound influence on a person.
Then, who was Empress Bian, the mother of Cao Pi? She was originally a courtesan. Cao Cao, when young, had a less disciplined lifestyle. He loved music, poetry, and often associated with courtesans. He married Empress Bian only as a concubine, not as his principal wife. However, when Dong Zhuo rebelled, Cao Cao raised an army to suppress the rebellion but failed due to his isolated position and had to flee in disguise, cutting himself off from his family. Rumors spread that Cao Cao had died, and his subordinates believed them and prepared to disperse. At this moment, Empress Bian stepped forward and said, "Although Emperor Cao is currently unknown, his life or death is uncertain. If you all leave now, what face will you have when he returns? Even if it is unfortunate, we are just dying together—what is the harm?" Thus, they did not disperse, and Cao Cao did return and achieved great things. Therefore, Cao Cao highly valued Empress Bian, considering her a woman of great insight. In the early years of the Jian'an period, he made Empress Bian his principal wife and entrusted the upbringing of the other sons to her.
Everyone knows that Cao Cao was both literary and martial. Therefore, Cao Pi and his brothers received excellent education and training from a young age, as recorded in Cao Pi's own writings. Cao Pi's works have been lost severely. The "New Book of Tang·Bibliography" records ten volumes of his works, but by the time of the "New Book of Song·Bibliography," only one volume remained. In the Qing Dynasty, Yan Kejun compiled "The Complete Ancient and Medieval Literature from the Shang to the Sui and Three Kingdoms," which included four volumes of Cao Pi's writings.
Cao Pi wrote many essays titled "Discussions," of which the most famous surviving are "On Literature" and "Self-Portrait." In "Self-Portrait," he wrote that during the chaos of the late Han Dynasty, he was only five years old when his father taught him archery. By the age of six, he learned to ride horses, and by eight, he had mastered both archery and horseback riding. He often accompanied his father on military campaigns. Historical records also show that when Cao Pi was only eight years old, he could already write essays. Later, he became knowledgeable in classics, history, and the works of the Hundred Schools of Thought.
By the way, Cao Pi was indeed a versatile talent. During the Three Kingdoms period, there was a game called danqi, and it is said that Cao Pi could use the corner of his handkerchief to play it, hitting the target every time. Later, in the sixteenth year of the Jian'an period, Cao Pi was appointed as the Commandant of the Five Officials and Vice Prime Minister, and at that time, he was only twenty-five years old. In the twenty-second year of the Jian'an period, he was made the Crown Prince of Wei. Cao Cao died in the twenty-fifth year of the Jian'an period, and shortly after his death, Cao Pi usurped the Han throne and became emperor.