Poetry Explanation

Impressions after reading the book

Zhu Xi of the Song Dynasty

Half an acre of square pond opened,

The skylight and cloud shadows linger *** .

Ask how clear the canal is?

Because there is a source of living water.

Comments

This poem is inspiring and timeless. The half-acre pond is like a mirror, reflecting the flashing skylight and cloud shadows. I wonder why this pond is so clear? It turns out that there is living water constantly flowing from the source! The meaning of the poem is very profound. It uses the source of living water as a metaphor for learning. Only by constantly absorbing new knowledge can we make rapid progress.

Appreciation

(Part 1) This is a philosophical poem. After reading, people often feel a sense of enlightenment. The poem uses symbolic techniques to turn this inner feeling into tangible and tangible actions and describe it, allowing readers to appreciate the mystery on their own. The so-called "living water from the source" should refer to the continuous acquisition of new knowledge from books. "Looking at the Book and Feeling" is a famous poem written by Zhu Xi, a scholar in the Southern Song Dynasty. I will copy it and analyze and appreciate it with everyone. I hope it can inspire and encourage young friends who have no interest in learning, do not read books and newspapers, and only know how to have fun. Four lines of the original poem: "Half an acre of square pond is open, and the skylight and cloud shadows are lingering; I ask how clear the canal is? It has a source of living water." What it actually writes is a bright and fresh pastoral scenery, which I read over and over again. Read it a few times, and you will find yourself loving it more and more! You see, a small pond of half an acre is an unfolding mirror in Zhu Xi's painting (once opened). It is so peaceful and elegant that people immediately spread the wings of their imagination.

The second sentence arouses readers' imagination. This "mirror" reflects the shadows of clouds lingering in the sky. How quiet and lovely the clear water is! The author raises a question in the third sentence, why is the water so clear? He happily asked himself, because the source is always replenished with living water, and it keeps flowing down. This beautiful picture of natural scenery has already made people feel fresh and bright after reading it. What makes people even more amazed is that when they look at the title, it is the feeling of reading the book. Suddenly, the beautiful artistic conception is sublimated, and the technique of expressing the ambition is used. Integrate living water with reading. It turns out that the great scholar Zhu Xi was praising reading for understanding, and the joy, clarity, and liveliness he felt in his mind were narrated by the reflection of ponds and cloud shadows. Why is his mind so clear? Because there is always new knowledge in books like living water, constantly replenishing it for him! A little poem by the great genius Zhu Xi has given us a lot of inspiration. Reading more good books will make your mind always lively, full of ideas, and elegant!

(2) This is also a poem that uses images to reason. It takes rafting as an example to allow readers to experience the principles related to learning. The poem says that in the past, the boat was large and the water was shallow, and everyone tried to push the boat in vain. But when the spring water surged, even the giant boat was as light as a feather, floating freely in the current. The poem highlights the importance of spring water, emphasizing that learning requires hard work to make breakthroughs. This poem was probably written by the author who was thinking hard about a certain issue and suddenly gained some insights after studying.

Introduction

Notes

①Fangtang: also known as Banmu Pond, located in the Zheng Yizhai Hall (later Nanxi Academy) in the south of Youxi City, Fujian Province. Zhu Xi's father had a good relationship with Zheng, so there is a poem in "Die Lian Hua· Drunk in Zheng's Villa" that goes: "At dawn, the square pond opens up. The catkins are falling like flying, and they are willing to stand in the spring breeze." Mirror: Mirror. The ancients used copper as a frame, wrapped it with a mirror bag, and opened it when in use.

②This sentence means that the light of the sky and the shadow of the clouds are reflected in the pond water, constantly changing, just like people wandering.

③Qu: He refers to Fangtang. No way, how could it be? Such as: like this.

④ Meng Chong: Warship. Yimaoqing: as light as a feather.

Criticism Some people think that poetry is the product of image thinking, so it is only suitable for describing scenes and expressing emotions, but not for reasoning. This makes some sense, but it cannot be made absolute. Because reason can be expressed through visual means, it is as attractive as scenery and emotion. At the same time, the speculative nature of reason itself is often very fascinating. (Meicheng's "Seven Fa" proves this point.) Therefore, there is no shortage of successful philosophical poems in ancient and modern poetry.

Zhu Xi was a student of Liu Zihui, and his father Zhu Song was also very talented. Perhaps due to the influence of his father and master, his evaluation of literature in Taoism was relatively fair, and he also wrote some good poems full of life. Of course, these two poems are works of reasoning. The first poem uses the idea that a pond must be constantly filled with living water to be clear, which is a metaphor for thinking that must continue to develop and improve in order to be active and avoid stagnation and rigidity. The latter's writing skills often go through a stage from quantitative change to qualitative change. Once the water is ready, it will naturally be clear on the outside and inside, without any restraints, and free. These two poems use vivid images to express the truths that he has realized in his studies. They are both inspiring and not lacking in poetic flavor. Therefore, Chen Yan rated them as "combining things and reasoning without being corrupt".

Sentence Explanation

Half an acre of Fangtang [Fangtang: square pond] Yi Jian Kai [Yi Jian Kai: like a mirror being opened. Jian, mirror. In ancient times, mirrors were covered with mirror bags and opened when in use. 〕,

The half-acre square pond is opened like a mirror.

Compare books to half an acre of square pond. The book is rectangular, so it is said to be "half an acre of square pond". "A mirror opens" is used as a metaphor to describe Fangtang as extremely clear.

The skylight and cloud shadows ***wander [Skylight and cloud shadows***wander: The skylight and cloud shadows are reflected in the pond together, shaking constantly. 〕.

The skylight and cloud shadows were reflected in the pond, shaking constantly.

Write about the beautiful scenery reflected in the clear square pond. "Sky light" and "cloud shadow" are metaphors for the content in the book.

Ask Qu [Qu: it refers to a pond. 〕Na〔Na: same as "which", how. 〕Deqing Rusu [Rusu: like this, like this. 〕,

for [for: because. 〕Living water comes from a source.

Ask how the water in that square pond can be so clear, because there is living water flowing continuously from the source.

The first two sentences describe the scene, and the last two sentences discuss it. Each question and answer vividly expresses the poet's deep and unique reading experience, with implicit philosophy.

This is a famous poem that uses scenery as a metaphor. The whole poem uses Fangtang as a metaphor to vividly express a subtle and indescribable feeling of reading. The pond is not a pool of stagnant water, but constantly filled with living water, so it is like a mirror, crystal clear, reflecting the sky and cloud shadows. This situation is quite similar to the situation when the same person solves the problem in reading, gains new knowledge and gains a lot, and improves his understanding. The flow of spiritual energy, clear thinking, fresh and lively spirit and contentment expressed in this poem are exactly the author's personal reading experience as a great scholar. Although the feeling expressed in the poem is only for reading, it has profound meaning and rich connotation, and can be widely understood. Especially the two sentences "Ask the canal how clear it is, because there is living water from the source." The reason why the water is clear is because there is continuous injection of living water from the source. It implies that if people want to have a clear mind, they must study hard and add new knowledge from time to time. Therefore, people often use it as a metaphor to continuously learn new knowledge in order to reach a new realm. People also use these two poems to praise a person's knowledge or artistic achievements, which has its own profound origin. We can also get inspiration from this poem. Only when the mind is always active, with an open and broad mind, can we accept all kinds of different ideas and fresh knowledge, and be broadly tolerant, can we keep thinking and new water flowing. These two lines of poetry have been condensed into the commonly used idiom "source of living water", which is used to metaphor the source and driving force of the development of things.

Impressions after reading the book

This is a philosophical poem. After reading, people often feel a sense of enlightenment. The poem uses symbolic techniques to turn this inner feeling into tangible and tangible actions and describe it, allowing readers to appreciate the mystery on their own. The so-called "living water from the source" should refer to the continuous acquisition of new knowledge from books.

"Looking at the Book and Feelings" is a famous poem written by Zhu Xi, a scholar at the University of the Southern Song Dynasty. I will copy it and analyze and appreciate it with everyone. I hope it can inspire and encourage young friends who have no interest in learning, do not read books and newspapers, and only know how to have fun.

Four lines of the original poem: "As soon as the half-acre square pond is opened, the skylight and cloud shadows are lingering. I ask the canal how clear it is? It has a source of living water."

”

What it actually describes is a bright and fresh pastoral scenery. After reading it several times, you will feel that the more you read, the more you will love to read! You see, a small pond of half an acre is unfolding in Zhu Xi’s writings. The mirror (once opened) is so peaceful and elegant that people immediately spread the wings of their imagination. The second sentence even arouses readers' imagination. This "mirror" reflects the shadows of clouds lingering in the sky, so clear is it. The water is so quiet and lovely! The author asked a question in the third sentence, why is the water so clear? He asked himself happily, because there is always water flowing from the source.

This beautiful picture of natural scenery makes people feel fresh and bright after reading it. What makes people even more amazed is that when they look at the title, it is the feeling of reading the book. The beautiful artistic conception is suddenly sublimated and integrated with reading.

It turns out that the great scholar Zhu Xi was praising his understanding of reading, and the joy, clarity, and liveliness he felt in his mind were expressed in the reflection of ponds and cloud shadows. Why is his mind so clear? New knowledge in books, like living water, is constantly replenishing it!

A little poem by the great genius Zhu Xi gives us a lot of inspiration. Reading more good books will keep your mind active forever! , endlessly talented and elegant!

The second feeling when reading books

Last night there was spring water on the riverside, and the giant ships were as light as a dime.

Always. It's a waste of effort, and I can walk freely in the middle of the day.

Moving in Qinhuai

The smoke is in the cold water, the moon is in the sand, and the merchant girl is not aware of the loss of her country, but she is still singing across the river. Garden flowers.

Notes

Cage: This sentence uses the "intertextual meaning" writing method, that is, the smoke and moonlight cover the water and sand.

Qinhuai: The lower tributary of the Yangtze River, in the southwest of present-day Eastern Jiangsu. At that time, there were many restaurants and brothels on both sides of the Qinhuai River.

One or two sentences mean: Describing the hazy scene of the mist and moon, it illuminates the place where the night is moored. The first sentence is actually intertextual, which means that the smoke and the moon cover the cold water and cover the sand.

Shang Girl: Chen Yinke said: "This businessman. Nüzhuang is a singing girl from Yangzhou who was in the Qinhuai merchant ship. ”

The Flowers in the Back Courtyard: The Flowers in the Back Courtyard of Yushu were written by Chen Houzhu of the Southern Dynasties. Chen Houzhu, Chen Shubao, the king of the Southern Dynasties, was destroyed by the Sui Dynasty.

Three or four sentences mean: The singer across the river did not care about the country that was about to decline. She sang "Flowers in the Backyard of the Yushu" by Chen Houzhu of the Southern Dynasty. Back then, Chen Houzhu was seeking pleasure every day, but was finally destroyed by the Sui Dynasty. , the singer is still singing this "sound of national subjugation", so the poet is deeply moved. Although it is still decades away from the demise of the dynasty, the shadow of the country's impending decline has entered the poet's heart.

Modern Translation of Ancient Poems

The gentle smoke and the faint moonlight enveloped the cold water and fine sand. In the quiet night, the boat was parked on the Qinhuai River near the restaurant. The singer did not know that the regret of the country's subjugation was on the other side of the Qinhuai River. The hotel is still singing "The Flowers in the Back Garden of the Yushu" from the country's subjugation.

Appreciation

Jiankang was the capital of the Six Dynasties. The Qinhuai River flows through the city and flows into the Yangtze River. There are many restaurants on both sides of the bank. They were wealthy families at that time. Although the capital of the Tang Dynasty was not in Jiankang, the scene on both sides of the Qinhuai River remained the same.

The two characters "cage" in the first line of the poem are strikingly used. , very eye-catching, four completely different things, smoke, water, moon and sand, are cleverly and harmoniously blended together with the two characters "cage", reproducing a hazy, clear and elegant moonlit night in a water town. The picture is so soft and quiet, still and moving at the same time, the brushwork is so light, but the hazy and lonely atmosphere is so strong. The "moon and water" here are related to the "night in Qinhuai" in the next sentence. , which lays a solid foundation for the second sentence "Night at Qinhuai near the restaurant"

"Night at Qinhuai near the restaurant" seems to be easy to pick up, but it is worth pondering carefully. There is an extremely subtle logical relationship in it. You see, "Night at Qinhuai" can be "near the restaurant". However, the four words "Night at Qinhuai" inherit the scenery and time of the previous sentence - "night". It also names the location of the scenery described in the previous sentence - "Qinhuai", making it more vivid and concrete.

This sentence not only cleverly echoes the title of the poem and continues the above, but "near the restaurant" also plays a role in opening up the following. Because of "near the restaurant", it leads to "business woman", "hate for the subjugation of the country", and "back garden flower" , and thus touched the poet's feelings. It can be seen that these seven words build up the structure of the entire article. "The merchant girl did not know the hatred of her country's subjugation, but she still sang "Flowers in the Back Garden" across the river." The word "still singing" has a profound meaning, cleverly connecting history, reality and the imagined future, showing the poet's concern and concern for the fate of the country. concern.

This poem describes what the poet sees, hears and feels. The language is fresh and natural, and the conception is exquisite and thoughtful. The whole poem is a blend of scenes, the scenery is the setting for the mood, and the mood comes with the scene. It is natural without the slightest trace of chiseling. It uses the debauchery and subjugation of Empress Chen as an allegory for the rulers of the late Tang Dynasty, and implicitly and euphemistically expresses the poet's deep thinking and understanding of the past life. Realistic reflections, concern for the country

Poetry Appreciation

This poem is inspired by the scene. Jinling was once the capital of the Six Dynasties and prosperous for a time. Witnessing the declining power of the Tang Dynasty today and the ignorance and debauchery of those in power, it is inevitable to repeat the mistakes of the Six Dynasties, which is infinitely sentimental. The first sentence describes the scenery, trying to exaggerate the lightness and elegance of the night by the water; the second sentence of narrative points out the place where you can stay at night; the third and fourth sentences of sentiments lead to the song of a business girl from "near the restaurant". There are many singing girls in the restaurant, so they are natural and free; From the song's overwhelmingness, "I don't know the hatred of the country's subjugation" is brought out, which criticizes the wealthy gentry and the powerful for indulging in sex and lust, which is implicit and profound; from the "hatred of the country's subjugation", the tune of "The Flower in the Back Garden" is introduced, using the corpse of the Empress Chen to lash out the debauchery of the powerful, which is profound. Sharp. These two sentences express the relatively sober feudal intellectuals' hidden worries about state affairs, and also reflect that the bureaucrats and aristocrats are filling their decayed and empty souls with a life of sex, singing, dancing, and extravagance. This is exactly the real life of the declining late Tang Dynasty. Portraits of two different sides. "The merchant girl did not know the hatred of the country's subjugation, but she still sang "The Flowers in the Back Garden" across the river." "The Flowers in the Back Garden" is said to be a piece of music composed by Chen Houzhu of the Southern Dynasty, and has been called "the sound of the country's subjugation" by later generations. "Across the river" comes from the previous sentence "hate for the country's subjugation". It refers to the Sui Dynasty soldiers Chen's army in the north of the Yangtze River. The small court of the Southern Dynasty across the river was in danger, but the empress Chen was still indulged in singing and women, and was finally captured and subjugated. . Literally, these two lines of poetry seem to be criticizing singing girls, but in fact, the poet was feeling the decline of the country and the decadent social customs in the late Tang Dynasty, and criticized those rulers who were addicted to singing and dancing to promote peace and "did not know" that the country was about to perish. The word "Yu Sing" has a profound meaning, cleverly connecting history, reality and the imagined future, showing the poet's concern and anxiety for the fate of the country. This poem describes what the poet saw, heard and felt. The language is fresh and natural, and the conception is exquisite and thoughtful. The whole poem combines scenery, events, emotions and ideas into one, the scenery is set for the emotions, and the emotions follow the scenery. By using the debauchery of Empress Chen to subjugate the country as an allegory for the rulers of the late Tang Dynasty, it implicitly expresses the poet's deep thinking about history and his deep concern for reality. With deep emotions and profound meaning, it is known as the masterpiece of Tang Dynasty quatrains. This poem expresses the poet's bitter satire on the rulers of the late Tang Dynasty and his deep concern for the fate of the country. Such rich connotations and profound themes are contained in just 28 words, each of which is condensed to the last detail. The language of poetry requires conciseness. Only conciseness can be implicit, and only implicitness can be concise. Therefore, subtlety and conciseness complement each other and complement each other. In the artistic conception of blending scenes, this poem vividly and typically expresses the atmosphere of the late Tang Dynasty. It reminds people of the debauchery and subjugation of Chen Empress to the fate of the declining late Tang Dynasty. It euphemistically and implicitly expresses the poet's profound understanding of history. Thinking, deep concern about reality, with profound content, deep feelings, endless meaning and thought-provoking.

Historical background

Business girls are singers who serve others. What they sing depends on the taste of the listener. It can be seen that the poem "Shang women don't know the hatred of the country's subjugation" is a kind of song. The real ones who "don't know the hatred of the country's subjugation" are the appreciators in the song - feudal nobles, bureaucrats, Gentleman. "Flowers in the Back Garden", also known as "Flowers in the Back Garden of Yushu", is said to be a piece of music composed by the empress Chen of the Southern Dynasties who was dissolute and delinquent. This melodious music had long since brought Chen Chao to his death.

However, now there are people who, in this age of decline, do not care about national affairs, but use the sound of national subjugation to have fun. How can this not cause the poet to worry that history will repeat itself! The word "across the river" comes from the story of "hate for the country's subjugation". It refers to the Sui Dynasty soldiers Chen's army in the north of the Yangtze River. The small court of the Southern Dynasty across the river was in danger, but the empress Chen was still in a state of disbelief. The word "still singing" subtly and naturally connects history, reality and imagined future, which is profound. "The merchant girl does not know the hatred of her country's subjugation, but she still sings "Flowers in the Back Garden" across the river." In the gentle and graceful style of the song, it shows bitter irony, deep sorrow, and infinite emotion, which can be called a "swan song". These two sentences express the relatively sober feudal intellectuals' hidden worries about state affairs, and also reflect that the bureaucrats and aristocrats are filling their decayed and empty souls with a life of sex, singing, dancing, and extravagance. This is exactly the real life of the declining late Tang Dynasty. Portraits of two different sides.