When writing poetry, the ancients were very particular about refining words, often saying "one word for peace, twisting off several stems and whiskers", "two sentences for three years, one chanting and two tears flowing".
The so-called word refining, that is, according to the needs of content and artistic conception, carefully select the most appropriate and expressive words to express affection.
Its purpose is to use the most appropriate words to express people or things vividly.
For example, Du Fu's "good sentences for human nature, and the words are not astonishing, and there is no end to death." Du Xunhe's "life should be without a day, death is not a time to recite." It is all about the contemplation and consideration of words and sentences, which is also a common phenomenon in the creation of classical literature, that is, what later generations say—refining words.
The artistic techniques of refining calligraphy are still worth learning. Here are a few examples:
Word of mouth.
Express rich meaning with condensed words.
For example, "I don't know where to blow the reed pipe, and I gather people all night to look at the township."
With the word "exhausted", it is written that the number of people who are homesick and how long they have been standing and looking forward to it.
With movement and stillness.
For example, "the bright moon shines among the pine trees, and the clear spring stone is high." (Wang Wei's "Autumn in the Mountains") The previous sentence wrote what the poet saw: the bright autumn moon is exceptionally bright among the pine forests, casting mottled light and shadows, and the realm appears extremely peaceful.
The latter sentence describes what the poet heard: the mountain spring is exceptionally clear and clean, it gurgling on the rocks, and it seems that the sound of its ding-dong running water can still be heard.
Flowing with a clear spring can better reflect the tranquility of the "empty mountain".
Turn stillness into movement.
For example, "The spring breeze is green on the south bank of the river. When will the bright moon shine on me." Gives people a spring-like, vibrant beauty.
Write in motion.
For example, "On the sand and the birds on the pond, the clouds break through the moon and the flowers play shadows." (Zhang Xian, "The Fairy of Heaven") The moon is relatively still, but because of the fluttering of the clouds, the "moon" is also written in motion. .
With a word "broken", write the dynamic feeling of the bright moon breaking through the clouds.
"Flower" is also relatively static, and when the word "get" is written, it is written swaying and colorful.
The word "Nong" is intended to point out: the moon sticking out from the gap in the clouds sprinkles the moonlight on the flowers, as if covering them with a soft white gauze, and the evening breeze gently tugs at the shy belt Delicate flowers.
The flowers swayed their shy and soft shadows in the moonlight.
The words "broken" and "get" personify the three scenes of cloud, moon and flower, making them full of vitality.
To show the virtual with the real, to show the invisible with the tangible.
For example, "the green poplar smoke is light and the cold is light, and the red apricot branches are full of spring." (Song Qi's "Magnolia") "Spring" can only be felt, not heard.
Spring is here, red apricot flowers are crowding the branches, and the poet put a word "noisy" on this picture of the spring scene, using anthropomorphic techniques, to write it alive.
The word "nao" is both a painting and a love story. It not only depicts the gorgeous scenery of apricot blossoms in full bloom, but also depicts the lively figure of the apricot branches swaying and the flowers twitching in the spring breeze.
Sorrow with joy.
For example, "When I feel the flowers splashing tears, I hate the birds when I hate them." (Du Fu's "Spring Hope") Birds and flowers are originally pleasing to the eye. When I saw it, I burst into tears.
In this way, lining the sadness with the happy scene makes the sadness even more sad.
A clear purpose.
For example, "The warm wind makes the tourists drunk, and they make Hangzhou a Bianzhou." (Lin Sheng's "Ti Lin'an Residence") These two sentences on the surface mean that those tourists who enjoy the scenery of the West Lake are intoxicated by the fragrance and happy.
In fact, the word "drunk" shows the shameful faces of those who forget their homeland.
Not only did these people lose their ambition, they even lost their backbone.
Condensed the author's emotion and indignation.
There are various methods of "refining characters". Huang Tingjian's poem: "Guiyan has nothing to do in March, and Gao Chan is singing with a single branch." , Until the temper to "use" the word is finalized.
Teng Yuan's poem "Moon Wave Tower" has a sentence: "The wild colors are not separated by mountains. .
There is a sentence in Du Gongbu's poem "Qujiang to Wine": "Peach blossoms follow the poplar flowers and fall, and the yellow birds also fly when the white birds fly." "Yu Gong" is "detailed", and "language" is changed to "fall". If this is changed, the opposite sentence will be more neat and tidy, and it has infinite meanings.
It can be seen that the poems need to be tempered and modified! There are many stories about the practice of Chinese characters.
The young Tang Dynasty poet Jia Dao went to Chang'an to take the exam.
He rode his donkey and walked down the street thinking of his own poems.
Suddenly, he thought of two good words: "The bird sits on the tree by the pond, and the monk pushes the moon down the door." After another thought, he felt that it would be better to change the word "push" to "knock". He heard a shout from the other side: "What are you doing?" Before he could figure out what was going on, he was pulled off the donkey and brought to Jingzhao Yin Hanyu.
It turned out that he met the great writer Han Yu and his entourage. After Jia Dao explained the matter, not only did he not get punished, but instead aroused Han Yu's interest in poetry.
Han Yu thought for a while, then said, "It's better to type. In the stillness of the night, a word 'knock' makes the night quieter, and there is a little more sound, it can be said that there is movement in the stillness; besides, it can be read loudly. more, and the scene is very beautiful." So the word "push" was changed to "knock".
Later, "scrutiny" has become the meaning of people's repeated consideration.
This is the proverbial "scrutiny" story.
According to legend, Su Dongpo discussed poetry with Su Xiaomei and his poet friend Huang Tingjian and took exams with each other.
After the little sister said "Light Wind and Fine Willow" and "Danyue Plum Blossom", she asked her brother to add a word to each of them and say Shiyan.
Su Dongpo immediately said: "Shake" is added to the former, and "Ying" is added to the latter sentence, that is, "the willows are shaken by the breeze, and the plum blossoms are reflected in the light moon".
Unexpectedly, Su Xiaomei was rated as "low-quality".
After thinking seriously, Su Dongpo said proudly: "Yes, 'the willows dance in the breeze, and the plum blossoms are hidden in the moon.'" The little girl smiled and said, "It's good, but it's still not top grade." Huang Ting beside him Jian couldn't bear it any longer, and asked, "What about Yi Xiaomei's high opinion?" Su Xiaomei read: "The breeze helps the willows, and the moon loses the plum blossoms." Su Dongpo and Huang Tingjian recited, pondering, and couldn't help but high-five. .
What is so wonderful about such a change? We might as well have a little fun.
"Light wind" Xu Lai, "Xi Liu" is not dynamic, how can it be worthy of more exposed verbs such as "shake" and "dance"? Only the word "support" is just right, and it is suitable for "light" and "fine" , looks harmonious, and personifies the wind again, vividly depicting the gentle breeze and the softness of the willow branches, giving people a sense of softness.
It is not appropriate to add "ying" and "hidden" in the next sentence.
Just imagine, the quiet moon has already filled the earth, and the plum blossoms are naturally not as conspicuous as the daytime.
In the moonlight, it was eclipsed.
In this way, the word "lost" depicts the scene where the moonlight and plum blossoms blend with each other, which enhances the appeal of this verse.
Yuan Mei wrote in "Suiyuan Poems": "All poetry and prose must always be written on paper, not on paper."
The "standing" mentioned here actually means that the refining language of poetry is vivid, vivid and three-dimensional, rather than abstract, inactive and weak.
The use of this method of refining characters makes the language and image of poetry more lifelike, thus showing a gorgeous and colorful visual beauty, and making the works have higher aesthetic value and artistic appeal.
The ancient poets repeatedly scrutinized and polished for a word, and this meticulous writing spirit should have enlightenment to our poetry creation.