Confucius talks about "poetry", "wen" and its practice
Confucius was mainly a statesman, thinker and educator. The Analects of Confucius, which reflected his ideological achievements and life style, was nothing but a record of his daily words and deeds with his disciples.
This early Yuan classic, which played the role of excavating the riverbed and dredging the river in the vast and long rivers of Chinese culture, although it is not a literary work, it inadvertently talks about "poetry" and the layout of "wen", but it is like the sun and the moon. It not only focuses on the source of literature, The Book of Songs, and allows us to appreciate the exquisiteness of the opening drama of Chinese literature, but also outlines the roadmap and rolling skyline from the distant high platform to the extension and expansion of the huge mountain range of Chinese literature.
Talk about "poetry"
Confucius's words about "poetry" are recorded in the Analects a lot. They do not refer to poetry in the sense of literary genre in general, but refer specifically to the earliest poetry collection in China, "Poetry" or "Three Hundred Poems", namely The "Book of Songs" later said.
Briefly speaking, it can be divided into two categories.
The first is to discuss the ideological content of "Poems".
For example, "Poetry 300, can be summed up in one sentence, thinking is innocent" ("Weizheng"); "Let Zheng Sheng be far away from people. Zheng Sheng is obscene, and people are perilous" ("Wei Ling Gong"), etc. .
Confucius not only affirmed that the Poetry has the characteristics of pure thought, which is helpful for moral education, but also criticized the fact that Zheng Sheng is obscene and easy to lead to evil thoughts of villains. This is the thought that poetry should have from two aspects: one positive and one negative. Connotation draws boundaries.
"Records of the Grand Historian: The Family of Confucius" said that Confucius deleted the "Book of Songs" to "take what can be applied to propriety and righteousness", which is consistent with the gist of "thinking without evil".
He praised "Guanju" is happy but not promiscuous, and sad but not hurt" ("Ba Yi"), and at the same time said that "I hate purple for stealing Zhu, I hate Zheng Sheng's chaotic elegance and music, and I hate those who overwhelm the state with sharp mouths. "("Yanghuo"), behind it is also the support of the concept of "thinking without evil".
Liu Baonan's "The Analects of Justice" explained: Confucius took "thinking without evil" as a general evaluation of the "Book of Songs", "On merits and virtues, warding off evil and preventing evil, all of them are generally righteous, and this sentence can be used as well." .
The second is to talk about the social function of Poetry.
For example, "the boy He Mo Xuefu's "Poems"? "Poems" can be popular, can be viewed, can be grouped, can be complained; the farther is the father, the farther is the king; I know more about the names of birds, animals, plants and trees" ("Yanghuo") ); "If you don't learn poetry, you have nothing to say" ("Ji Shi"), etc.
Here, Confucius emphasizes the importance of learning poetry. He believes that poetry can not only inspire imagination, expand observation, enhance gregariousness, and master the methods of expressing grievances, but can also use its principles to serve parents, and it can be used to serve the monarch and govern the country. From this, you can get to know and understand many birds, animals and plants to expand your knowledge.
The reason why he said "If you don't learn poetry, you can't speak", in addition to the political diplomacy and etiquette exchanges at that time, he often used the verses in the "Book of Songs" to express his intentions and convey emotions, but also because learning poetry can inspire people's analogical associations , comprehend new knowledge.
Zi Gong said, "What about being poor without flattery, and being rich without arrogance?" The Master said, "Yes; it is not like being poor and happy, but rich and good-natured."
Zi Gong said: "The Poetry says, 'It is like cutting, like cutting, grinding like grinding', what is it called "you"?" Zi said: "It is a gift, and then you can tell the "Poetry" already, let everyone know when you go Come." ("Xue Er")
Zixia asked: "'Smiling with a beautiful smile. Beautiful eyes look forward to it. I always think it is gorgeous.' What is it?"
Said: "After the ceremony."
The Master said: "The one who gave the gift is business! Only then can you talk about the "Poetry"." ("Ba Yi")
These two famous dialogues between Confucius and his disciples, "Shi Ke and Yan "Poems", on the one hand, show that learning should be good at this and the other, and on the other hand, it also shows that poetry has the type of quotation and example. evokes the chanted word".
Just as "Wen Xin Diao Long Bi Xing" said: "The Poetry is rich and profound, and contains six meanings", "Compared with animal indignation and scolded, Xing is ringed with analogy and satire".
The Analects of Confucius talks about "poetry", and also involves many aspects such as the categories of the Book of Songs, the evaluation of specific poems, etc., but the core and most far-reaching issues are the above-mentioned topics.
The opinions expressed by Confucius discussing these issues have penetrated into the bone marrow of Chinese literature and have always been talked about by people.
Later generations discussed a lot of theories of "Writing to carry the Tao", "Wen to clarify the Tao" and "Poetry Teaching", etc., all of which stood on the peaks or mounds of their own times, and responded to the mountains and valleys that Confucius climbed. There is no shortage of strange noises.
say "text"
"Wen" is frequently used in The Analects, and it has multiple meanings: both refer to literature and those who are knowledgeable in literature. People are also" ("Shu Er"); there are also those that are used as verbs to refer to literary decorations, such as "wenzhi is ceremonial and music" ("Xianwen"), "the fault of the villain must be written" ("Zi Zhang"); It also refers to etiquette and literary talents, such as "Yu Yu Hu Wen Zai" ("Ba Yi"), "Quality is better than Wen Ye, and Wen is better than quality is history. Gentle and gentle, then gentleman" ("Yong Ye") and so on.
Strictly speaking, the "wen" that Confucius talked about is far from the same thing as the "literature" talked about today, but his discussion of the relationship between text and quality has deeply infiltrated Chinese literature and literary theory.
The relationship between literary quality proposed by Confucius is originally in terms of the etiquette and self-cultivation of a gentleman. He believes that more simplicity than literary talent is rude, and literary talent is more than simplicity and is too pretentious. Only when literary talent and simplicity are properly matched can one be called a gentleman.
Cao Pi's "Book of Consciousness with Wu": "While Weichang only embraces the quality of writing, he is happy and has few desires, and he has the ambition of Jishan, and he can be called a gentleman."
This point of view was introduced into literary theory, referring to the harmonious unity of positive ideological content and wonderful art forms, and it has always occupied an unshakable dominant position in Chinese literary theories of all dynasties.
In theory, text and quality can be studied separately, but in fact, the two are blended together and cannot be separated.
The quality (content) must exist in the text (form), and the text (form) must also depend on a certain quality (content) to exist. There is nowhere to find the text without quality or the quality without text.
"The Analects of Confucius Yan Yuan" says:
Ji Zicheng said: "A gentleman is only in substance, so why should he be written?" Zigong said, "What a pity, the Master said that a gentleman is a gentleman! Si is not as good as a tongue. Sheep mower."
Zigong said: "The text is like the quality, and the quality is the same as the text." It is precisely the statement that the text and the quality are difficult to separate, just like the skins of tigers and leopards and dogs and sheep.
This passage is still a discussion about the cultivation of a gentleman, such as the flower branches that cross the wall, which aroused the astonishment of Liu Xie, a literary critic, whose "Wen Xin Diao Long · Qing Cai" said: "The water is empty and the water is stagnant, and the wood is solid. The calyx vibrates, and the text is attached to the substance; the tiger and leopard have no text, and the moth is like the dog and the sheep; the rhinoceros has skin, and the color of the dan lacquer is the quality of the text."
Confucius said "Wen", and there is another famous saying that should not be left behind.
"Zuo Zhuan·Xiang Gong Twenty-five Years" contains: "Zhong Ni said: "Zhi" has it: 'Words are sufficient for ambition, and writing is sufficient for words.' If you don't speak, who knows his will? It’s not far.” Confucius emphasized: words express emotion, and literary grace modifies language; words without literary grace cannot spread everywhere.
Reading the works of the pre-Qin scholars, the outstanding impression is that they all pay great attention to literary style and pay attention to the choice of words and sentences.
Some people, such as Zhuangzi, although verbally said that "articles" and "picking colors" are not required (for example, he said in "Parallel Thumbs": "This is why those who are parallel in the Ming Dynasty are confused with five colors, obscene articles, and the brilliance of green and yellow is not good? Li Zhu is also), in fact, his words are duplicitous, or he is too literary, and his articles are diligent in literary style, which can be described as conclusive evidence.
practice
Confucius was a man who was consistent with his words and deeds. He not only paid attention to "words must be believed, and actions must be fruitful" ("Zi Lu"), but also emphasized that "a gentleman wants to be slack in words and quick to deeds" ("Liren"), "a gentleman is ashamed of his words and is ashamed of his words." Exceed its line" ("Constitution Question").
Although the Analects of Confucius was not written by Confucius himself, from the discourses recorded by his disciples, it can be clearly felt that he was a practitioner who implemented his idea of attaching importance to literary grace.
"Wen Xin Diao Long Zheng Sheng" praised him, saying: "The master's style is overflowing with aphorisms", "refined in the text, delicate and beautiful", "but the elegance of the saint is also a solid title of splendor and admiration of truth".
Reviewing the "Analects of Confucius", there are many famous words of "admiration for beauty and reality", which proves that his words are true.
Metaphor is a common rhetorical method in literature, and Confucius was shocked when he made a move.
"Government with virtue, such as Beichen, where all the stars share" ("Weizheng"), "North Star" is compared to a ruler who "governs with virtue", and "Zhongxing" is compared to feudal lords and officials , figuratively and meaningfully.
"The deceased is like a gentleman, he does not give up day and night" ("Zihan"), "The year is cold, and then the pines and cypresses will wither" ("Zihan"). The withering scene of pines and cypresses indicates that people have to stand the test of harsh environment, which is concise and thought-provoking.
"Those who know are happy in water, those who are benevolent are happy in mountains; those who are knowledgeable move, those who are benevolent are quiet; those who are knowledgeable are happy, those who are benevolent live long" ("Yong Ye").
Confucius is agile from the flow of water, thinks of the wise being sharp and intelligent, from the calm and quiet of the mountains, and thinks of the benevolent and unmoving, the metaphor is wonderful, the meaning is meaningful, and the atmosphere is broad.
Confucius was good at metaphors, but also at exaggeration.
"Wen Dao in the morning, you can die in the evening" ("Li Ren"), how can he show that he regards "Wen Dao" as more important than his life if he doesn't boast like this!
"Zi Zai heard "Shao" in Qi, but I don't know the taste of meat in March" ("Shu Er"), this is a gentle and exaggerated method to convey the scene of his obsession with Shao music in Qi State and unable to extricate himself, conveying it vividly and with a long meaning.
"Unrighteousness and wealth and honor are like floating clouds to me" ("Shu Er"), the "floating clouds" here is both a metaphor and an exaggeration. The noble sentiments and free and easy feelings of not worrying about poverty" are vividly and touchingly portrayed.
Confucius is also longer than his counterpart.
For example, "a gentleman is compared to righteousness, and a villain is compared to profit" ("Li Ren"), "a gentleman is peaceful but not arrogant, and a villain is arrogant but not arrogant" ("Zilu"), "The one who knows is not as good as the one who is good, and the one who is good is not as good as joy. The person who is in charge of the Tao” (“Yong Ye”), “The way is to govern, and the order is to punish, and the people are free and shameless; the way is to virtue, and the order of propriety is shameful and elegant” (“Weizheng”), etc.
The third sentence here is no longer a simple comparison of duality, but a hierarchy of duality; the fourth sentence is from "the people are free and shameless" to "shameless and qualified", which is not only a hierarchy of duality, but also in the overall connotation It forms an intricate pattern, and its rhetorical techniques are skillful and sublime, which is admirable.
Compared with the above-mentioned explicit literary expressions, I appreciate the implicit or inherent literary meaning everywhere in The Analects.
Take a look at the seemingly unremarkable opening chapter:
The Master said, "Isn't it a good thing to learn and learn from time to time? Wouldn't it be a pleasure to have a friend come from afar? Wouldn't it be a gentleman if you don't know it but don't shy?" ("Xue'er")
Not to mention that this paragraph is arranged in lines, it is quite poetic in form and rhythm. It can be seen that the three sentences are all expressed in a friendly rhetorical tone, that is, intentionally or unintentionally, using literary brushwork, vividly depicting Confucius as the teacher and his disciples. situation.
The first sentence of this paragraph should not only study diligently but also practice regularly, emphasizing the unity of knowledge and action; the second sentence welcomes everyone to study from afar, expressing Confucius' way of dealing with his disciples and friends; and again, when the disciples meet for the first time, they should not make trouble because they do not understand each other. Contradictions, the statement of the gentleman's way of seeking everyone to live in harmony.
The tone of this passage is euphemistic and pleasant, and the connotation is pure and long. .
These three sentences are not independent teachings, but a group of thoughts that are connected with each other. They are the speech or opening remarks of Confucius at the opening ceremony of Xingtan, so they were placed in the frontispiece by the disciples.
I don't know if the Fang family thinks so?
(Author: Qian Niansun, researcher at Anhui Provincial Research Center of Socialist Theoretical System with Chinese Characteristics and Anhui Academy of Social Sciences)