Into Tao Yuanming’s spiritual world

A true understanding of the true state of life - Analysis of the imagery of "The House in the Human Realm"

Freud and other Western psychoanalytic schools believe that there is something deep in the human soul. There is an "id" and a "superego". "Self" is the essence of Laozi's philosophy. It is free from the alienation and distortion of cultural symbols, such as the original appearance of a baby's natural and harmonious life. It is close to the authenticity of life enshrined in Western existential philosophy. state. "Superego" is shaped by social culture and is a unique self. It is a self that exists in social reality, plays various specific social roles, and acts in accordance with group norms and requirements. "Id" and "superego" are a pair of contradictions, harmoniously unified deep in the human soul. One moment the "id" has the upper hand, and the other moment the "superego" is evident. The interlaced presentation of "superego" and "id" shows people's different behaviors and even their entire life pursuits in different periods. Looking at the feudal era, many literati were compromising with the secular world and expanding their lives to serve the world; while striving to pursue the "superego", in fact, deep down in their hearts, they also often showed their disgust for the sinister officialdom and unpredictable society, and they tried their best to return to their "self". ", try their best to reflect on the true state of life, such as the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove, Xie Lingyun, Tao Yuanming, Li Bai, Wang Wei, Su Shi, etc., but among them, those who have gone the furthest in the pursuit of "self", reflect on this state The person who got it most clearly is probably Tao Yuanming. Tao not only dared to think, but also dared to do it; not only did it, but he did it thoroughly. This worldly mentality of his is revealed in many of his poems, especially in the "Drinking" series. This article will give a brief explanation using "Jielu in the Human Realm" as an example. The poem "The House in the Human Land" is the pinnacle of Tao Yuanming's poetic imagery. In this poem, the "id" gets rid of the entanglement of the "superego" and exists clearly and unhindered in the poetic image. "The house is built in a human environment, without the noise of cars and horses. How can I ask you? Your mind is far away and you are biased." This state of "distance" and "quietness" is only possible after the "id" defeats the "superego" appeared. "The heart is far away" is not just because of the "remote place", the most important thing is probably Tao's true forgetfulness of the world in the soul. If the heart is enslaved to things and the roots of dust are not gone, then even if you are in a "noisy place without cars and horses" Although he was in a remote place, he would still be fettered by common sentiments. He lived in seclusion in Zhongnan like Wang Wei of the Tang Dynasty, but what he wanted in his heart was still the shortcut to promotion. In Wang Wei, the "id" is just a means to pursue the "superego". Tao Yuanming is completely different. His "superego" has been excluded from the soul, and his "self", the true nature of life, has shown a completely unfolded state. At this time, no matter whether the body is in the countryside or in the bustling city, "the mind is far away and wanders to itself", this clear, unobstructed and free mind makes everything show a tranquil and distant charm.

“While picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, I could leisurely see the Nanshan Mountain. The mountain air is beautiful day and night, and the birds are flying back and forth.” At this point, the poet and his “self” have become one. The Tao Yuanming who picked chrysanthemums was freed from all kinds of worldly distractions and presented himself in the true state of life. The leisurely emptiness of his soul is reflected in the images of chrysanthemums and Nanshan. His whole body and mind have been integrated into the mountain atmosphere and the beautiful sunset, and he seems to have turned into a bird soaring in the embrace of nature. Being so calm and undistracted is in harmony with nature, and you can appreciate the infinite charm of nature itself. In this kind of contemplation, the objects are in their original state, the mind is peaceful, the mind and objects merge in the heart, and in the harmonious consciousness, one seriously enters a state of "selflessness" in which things and I are one and the same.

In the first four sentences, the poet gets rid of the "superego" and returns to nature from the secular world; in the middle four sentences, the poet truly appreciates the true state of life with a detached and quiet state of mind; in the last two sentences, the poet In this sentence, the poet seems to have entered a trance-like and ethereal fairyland. "There is a true meaning in this, but I have forgotten to explain it." The so-called "true meaning" is the thought and feeling of returning to the true nature of life. I want to express these thoughts and feelings but cannot. The ancients said well, "When you are proud, you will forget your words." Tao, who has already obtained the "true meaning", "forgets his words" in a reasonable and reasonable manner is not pretending to be profound, but this kind of feeling can only be understood and cannot be expressed in words.

There is no alcohol in this poem, but the poet classified it into the twenty poems about drinking and became the crown among them. The reason is that the capture and composition of its images have the characteristics of the intuitive and unconscious Dionysian spirit. As the ancients said: "The images in this poem constitute the middle scene and the meaning, all by accident and unintentional." The two lines of "picking chrysanthemums" are both accidental and interesting. There are chrysanthemums on the east fence, and I picked them by chance... and Nanshan The sight of the mountains is also a coincidence. I saw the mountains accidentally, but I picked the chrysanthemums intentionally... The birds in the mountains return at dusk... But their return coincides with the time when I saw Nanshan... This is also a coincidence. The interesting thing is...the "true meaning" is a secret that has not been passed down by thousands of saints, that is, there are thousands of volumes of Taoism and ten thousand leaves of Buddhist scriptures, but they still can't exhaust the meaning. "There is a true meaning in this". Although, it has already been said, why not say "picking chrysanthemums on the east fence"? "Occasional interest" is the intuitive and unconscious state of aesthetics. Only the poetic imagery that evolves from this state can acquire the endless meaning of "being in the middle of the world, wandering outside the world". This accidental and unintentional meeting of emotions and scenery is exactly the unconscious projection of the poet's true, unobstructed state when his life is enlightened. Here, we feel harmonious and happy with the returning birds. They are no longer hesitant, no longer confused, and no longer sad of being separated from the group.

They project that after the poet got rid of the loneliness and confusion of the "superego", his spirit gained a huge sense of belonging and support, thus showing a free, peaceful and joyful mood.

The sincere understanding of the true state of life is the true meaning of this poem, and it is also the ultimate goal of the poem "Drinking" and Tao Yuanming's poem.

Talk about Tao Yuanming's pastoral poetry

1 Introduction

The style of metaphysical poetry was very popular in Jin literary circles, and the literary content was seriously divorced from reality. In such an era, Tao Yuanming emerged as a new force and created a unique style in poetry, prose, and poetry. His outstanding creative achievements brought a fresh breath to the dull literary world. In particular, the pastoral poems that reflected rural scenery and rural life had a great impact on later literature. far-reaching impact.

The era in which Tao Yuanming lived and the development of his thoughts

Tao Yuanming (365-427), named Yuanliang, also known as Qian, Chaisang, Xunyang (now Jinglin Street, Jiujiang City, Jiangxi Province) )people. He is the most outstanding poet in China's Eastern Jin Dynasty. Tao Yuanming lived during the Jin, Song and Chang Dynasties, which was a turbulent era. At that time, the strictly hierarchical clan system was highly developed. A scholar's official career basically determined his origin. The clans and nobles monopolized high-ranking officials and important positions, while the common people and poor families were deeply suppressed. This harsh reality had a profound impact on Tao Yuanming's life and thoughts.

Tao Yuanming was born in a declining bureaucratic landlord family. His great-grandfather Tao Kan was the founding father of the Eastern Jin Dynasty. He had outstanding military achievements. He was the governor of eight states and was once granted the title of Duke of Changsha. His grandfather Tao Mao served as the governor of Wuchang, his father Tao Yi also served as a local official, and his maternal grandfather Meng Jia served as a general in the Western Conquest. But by the time of Tao Yuanming, his family had already declined and his livelihood was extremely difficult. In his youth, Tao Yuanming had illusions about the ruling class due to the influence of his family and Confucian scriptures, and had the ambition to "help the common people". But his family background and the era he lived in were very unfavorable to him. At this time, the reactionary clan system reached its peak. The clans and nobles monopolized high-ranking official positions, and those who came from humble families were unreasonably suppressed. Although Tao Yuanming's great-grandfather Tao Kan was a high-ranking official in the Jin Dynasty due to his military exploits, he was not a member of the elite family. He was ridiculed as a "villain" and a "brook dog" at the time. By Tao Yuanming's time, even this family background had disappeared. Naturally, he does not get the attention of society. At this time, the politics of the Eastern Jin Dynasty were extremely corrupt, and the internal conflicts within the ruling class were very acute. Taking the main period of Tao Yuanming's life as an example, he experienced the dictatorship of Sima Daozi and Yuan Xian, the chaos of Wang Guobao, the rise of armies by Wang Gong and Yin Zhongkan, the seizure of the throne by Huan Xuan, and Liu who finally seized the power of Jin. The rise of wealthy power. The gentry and warlords who controlled the political situation were keen on fighting for power and gain. They had no intention of rectifying politics or regaining lost territory. In such a political situation, it is impossible to realize progressive political ideals. This objective reality has a profound impact on Tao Yuanming's life path and ideological changes.

In order to realize his ideals and get rid of his poor living situation, Tao Yuanming served as an official five times in his life. In the 18th year of Taiyuan (393), Emperor Xiaowu of the Eastern Jin Dynasty went out to offer wine to Jiangzhou. But he soon became "unable to bear the official position" and resigned and went home to "work hard and support himself." The second time he became an official, when he was thirty-five or six years old, he was the governor of Xingzhou, Hengxuan Muliao. Hengxuan was an ambitious warlord who was tyrannical and unruly. Tao Yuanming was disgusted and worried about him because of his unruly nature. In the winter of 401 AD, he resigned from his post and returned home on the pretext of his mother's death, and began a life of farming the countryside again. , the third time he became an official, when he was forty years old, three years after Tao Yuanming returned to seclusion. Liu Yu, the first general of the town army, joined the army. The fourth time he served was when Liu Jingyi, who was transferred from Liu Yu's office to the general of Jiancheng, joined the army in 4 AD. The fifth time was in August of the first year of Yixi (405). Tao Yuanming asked Peng to translate the order again. In November of that year, the poet, who had been the county magistrate for eighty days, finally resigned and returned to his hometown because he "cannot bow down to the children of the village for five buckets of rice", completely embarking on the long road of seclusion for more than twenty years. After Tao Yuanming experienced the turmoil and constraints of officialdom, he finally found his way back, planted a stick and worked hard, and composed poems in the clear stream to fulfill his "destiny". Therefore, he explained the sense of political loss from the depths of his soul and "returned to the countryside by taking advantage of the changes." "Finished" and found the destination of life.

Tao Yuanming's retirement was not only due to concerns about the turmoil of the times and the dangers of his career, but also to the contradiction between ideals and reality. Under the clan and system, it is difficult for a humble scholar to make a difference, and his ambition of "helping the common people" is destined to be shattered. Faced with the filthy darkness of the officialdom, unable to change and unwilling to join in the evil, Tao Yuanming finally chose a path of purity and integrity. The path of ambition. Precisely because he buried his ambition in his heart, he never forgot the reality, and often showed his dissatisfaction with the decadent reality and his anxiety and grief that he could not realize his ambition. In terms of personality, Tao Yuanming was straightforward and upright, which was not suitable for officialdom. He was busy and tiring with official affairs, and it did not suit his free and leisurely habits. On the other hand, he himself was deeply influenced by the thoughts of Lao and Zhuang. "The mind is enslaved to things" was his greatest mental suffering. He wanted to get rid of his own body and the servitude of materials and gain spiritual freedom. Throughout Tao Yuanming's life, there was a fierce conflict between Confucianism and Taoism, which was reflected in his repeated official career and seclusion. In short, Tao Yuanming was not only influenced by the fashion of the times, but also absorbed and inherited a variety of ideas based on his own life experience, thus integrating into Tao Yuanming's unique character.

3 Classification of Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems

Tao Yuanming's creations are mainly poems, and he is also good at poetry and prose.

There are more than 120 poems in existence, especially pastoral poems that reflect rural scenery and rural life. They have the largest number and greatest achievements, and have a profound influence on future generations.

The so-called pastoral poetry refers to poems that describe rural pastoral life and pastoral scenery. Tao Yuanming is the first great writer of pastoral poetry in the history of ancient Chinese literature. In the history of poetry development, poetry with agricultural labor as its content can be traced back to ancient ballads. By the time of the Book of Songs, a large number of agricultural poems reflecting agricultural production had appeared. These agricultural poems reflected the working life and feelings of farmers, but it was only by Tao Yuanming that rural life and pastoral scenery really attracted the attention of literati. Farm poems developed into pastoral poems. These pastoral poems cleverly combine emotion, scenery and reason. It describes rural scenery and pastoral life with a fresh and natural poetry style, delicate description, strong artistic charm, and unique artistic style, forming a poetry school with long-lasting influence. Tao Yuanming was therefore called the "Pastoral Poet" by later generations.

Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems can be divided into four categories based on their content:

The first category describes the peaceful and tranquil pastoral scenery and expresses the poet's leisurely and contented mood. These poems describe the beauty of nature and express the poet's free state of mind out of the cage. For example, one of them (Returning to the Countryside) wrote:

I have little sense of vulgarity and my nature is to love hills and mountains. I accidentally fell into the dust net and passed away for thirty years. The birds in the pond are nostalgic for the old forest, and the fish in the pond are thinking about their old continent. Open up the wilderness in the south, stay humble and return to the garden. The square house covers more than ten acres and has eight or nine thatched houses. The elms and willows shade the back eaves, and the peach and plum trees in front of the hall. The distant village is warm, and the smoke in the ruins is still there. Dogs bark in the deep alleys, cocks crow in the mulberry trees. The courtyard is free of dust and clutter, and the empty room has plenty of leisure. After being in a cage for a long time, you can return to nature.

The poet denounced the upper-class society of the ruling class as a "dust net", regarded joining it as being a "fettered bird" or a "fish in a pond", and described retreating to the countryside as breaking out of a "cage" ,, the joy of returning to nature is like a bird breaking out of a cage, and his mood is so relaxed and happy, showing his contempt for the ugly world. Therefore, the whole poem not only reveals a kind of comfort of spiritual liberation, but also is full of the joy of getting rid of officialdom and returning home safely. Therefore, the poet takes the trouble to describe his countryside one by one: acres, thatched cottages, elms and willows, peaches and plums, distant linings, The barking and barking of dogs are so kind and beautiful, enough to settle down and live. These extremely ordinary scenery, through the poet's brushstrokes, resemble a set of peaceful and calm rural landscape paintings. The author's sincere love is revealed between the lines. Here, the simple and peaceful pastoral life forms a sharp contrast with the hypocritical, deceitful and mutually strenuous upper class society, which has a particularly attractive power. Tao Yuanming looked at the countryside and nature with an aesthetic eye, transcending the contradictions and pain of reality and reaching a state of harmony and tranquility.

When the poet had not yet left his official career, he always felt like being "temporarily restrained by others" and could not calm down. He "looked at the clouds and felt ashamed of the tall birds, and faced the water and felt ashamed of the fish swimming". But when he stayed away from the dirty reality and returned to the countryside, he felt that he had found his home. The fifth poem of "Drinking":

The house is in a human environment, without the noise of cars and horses. I ask you, what can you do? The mind is far away from itself. Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, you can see Nanshan leisurely; the mountain gate is beautiful in the evening, and the birds are flying back and forth. There is a true meaning in this, but I have forgotten to explain it.

The poet avoided the noise of the carriages and horses of dignitaries, and gained a free and peaceful state of mind in a leisurely life.

The second category sings about agricultural labor and the deep friendship with farmers during labor.

What attracts attention among Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems are those that describe his hard work in cultivating the fields; due to his livelihood, agricultural work is of course the poet's first priority after returning to the fields. As early as the first two years of Peng Ze's reign, he had already started farming at home. He wrote in the two poems "Nostalgia for the Ancient Farmhouse in the Beginning of the Year of Guimao": "I heard about Nan Mu in the past, but my intention was not fulfilled at that time; there are people who have been empty for many times, how can I avoid being alive" (Part 1), "I have come to enjoy my work. At that time, Xie Yan persuaded the farmers; "We are far away from each other, and we are happy with the good land; although we have not measured the achievements of the year, we are happy that there are many things", which are all the experiences and joyful feelings of farm work in the fields at that time. In the first days after Peng Ze's return, the depictions of such farm work also had a romantic and joyful tone. Although what he saw in front of him was just a poor home with a few thatched houses, a few acres of wasteland, and a wife. But he imagined his future life very beautifully. What is said in "Returning Letters" is that "love words to please relatives, music and music to write books to soothe worries; family members will have good luck in spring, and they will have things to do in Xichou", which is the main content of his envisioned future secluded life. The five poems "Returning to the Countryside" are a series of poems written by Tao Yuanming in the second year of Yixi (406) of Emperor An'an of Jin Dynasty. The third poem says:

At the foot of the southern mountain, the grass is full of grass and the bean sprouts are sparse; in the morning, I wake up to sort out the wasteland and filth. , Returning with a moon load and a hoe. The road is narrow, the grass and trees are long, and the evening dew stains my clothes. I don’t regret the stain on my clothes, but my wish is true.

We can clearly see a man covered in moonlight returning from a hoe on a path overgrown with vegetation. The poet used extremely economical language and the technique of line drawing to create an image of a feudal scholar-bureaucrat personally cultivating the fields. The writing was full of interest, and the description of the scene was also a reflection of his heart. "The clothes you wear are not enough to borrow, but your wishes are contrary to your wishes." It was through hard work that the poet understood that "life has its own path, and food and clothing make it stable" ("Getting Early Rice in the West Fields in the Years of Gengxu") reason. Therefore, even though "I work hard in the morning, and the sun comes back with my back", the poet still "wants it to be like this, and bowing is not a sigh" (ibid.). The poet's description of scenery is often intertwined with agricultural work. As a kind of compensation for tiredness, he can also experience a feeling of "heart-to-heart communication".

As the poet got older, his farming years became longer and his life became increasingly poor. When he was fifty-two years old and wrote "Bingchen Years Old in August, I wrote "The Harvest of the Farm", his ideological understanding had improved even more. The poem goes:

I live in poverty and work on my manuscripts, and work hard in the East. I don’t say that spring is hard, and I am always afraid of losing my heart. There is spring and autumn in Sitian, and the voice is in harmony with me.

Hungry people rejoice when they are full, and the chickens crow when they are girded. Yang Ji crossed the Pinghu Lake and returned to the clear valley. In the gloomy and desolate heart, the ape's voice is leisurely and sad.

The sad wind loves the quiet night, and Lin Wu is happy to unfold. He said that I had come here; three or four stars were burning. Although his appearance has passed away, he has been invaded, and his actions have not been good.

Thank you He Tiao Weng from afar, and we can chat with you.

Here, the poet's emotion of sighing and complaining about labor in the early days of his retirement has given way to worry about the quality of the harvest. "Don't say that spring is bitter", it's not that it's not bitter, but that there is no time to complain. The only thing to worry about is that the harvest will not be good, but what is in my heart is the hope of the autumn harvest. Because the quality of the harvest is related to the food and clothing in life, "the hungry are happy to be satisfied", which is the true feeling of having a full meal after a long period of hunger. This is by no means an experience that the feudal aristocratic literati who went on hunger strike all day can have!

In more than twenty years of seclusion, the hardship of farming and the embarrassment of life were only one aspect, and the spiritual joy and harvest brought by the colorful life of reading, making friends, and spring outings were enough to compensate him. The lack of material life in seclusion. These are fully expressed in his poems.

Reading may be the poet’s eternal pleasure in his secluded life. Whether in his spare time from farming, when he is living, or when he is socializing with neighbors or even when he is starving, reading can bring him the greatest enjoyment. He wrote in "Migration" (Part 1), "Neighbors' songs come slowly, the conversation is in the past, wonderful articles are appreciated by all, and doubts are analyzed." "No vulgar tune, a chapter that pleases the saints", "Reading the Classic of Mountains and Seas", "Already plowing and sowing, you still read my book", "Browsing through "The Biography of the King of Zhou", and looking at "The Picture of Mountains and Seas" "Looking down at the end of the universe, what if I don't feel happy again", "The pot is poured out but there is no leakage, and there is no smoke in the stove; the poems and books are stuffed under the seat, saying that there is no need to study even if they are flat", etc., all were written by him This kind of reading life. The poet also looked for examples of sages who rose above the world through reading, as a spiritual support force against external pressure in his secluded life.

In addition to farming and reading, the joy of socializing with relatives, friends and neighbors was also an important part of Tao Yuanming's reclusive life. For example, "Visiting Xiechuan" is about a spring outing, and "Migration" is a poem about the joy of socializing with neighbors and friends after moving to Nancun. One of the words goes: "There are many beautiful days in spring and autumn. I climb high and compose new poems. I meet each other more when I pass the door; I have wine to drink; I go back to the farm work, and I miss each other in my free time. I miss each other all the time, and I don't get tired of talking and laughing. This principle will be overwhelming and there will be no action. Go here!" Tao Yuanming even thought that this kind of joy of socializing could make him forget all the troubles in the world. He hoped to never leave here.

The poet has been working in the countryside for a long time and his life has deteriorated day by day. The poet gradually got closer to the farmers during the labor process and established feelings with them. The second part of "Returning to the Countryside" writes: "When the time comes, people are walking around in the countryside. There are no words to say when we meet, but the roads are full of mulberry trees and hemp trees." In his interactions with farmers, the poet further understood that farmers Simple, natural and honest temperament. The poet and the peasants talked about mulberry and hemp, and they had the same feelings about the joys and sorrows of their lives. These pastoral poems by Tao Yuanming not only express the idea of ????relying on working life, which is in sharp opposition to the parasitic view of the exploiting class; they also express the tenacious attitude of working tirelessly and persisting in hard work. These are beyond the ideological consciousness of ordinary scholar-bureaucrats, making his pastoral poems shine with the brilliance of progressive thoughts.

The third category reflects the desolation of the countryside and the poverty of villagers’ lives.

Tao Yuanming’s pastoral poems mainly reflect his working life after his retirement, his mood of talking about leisure and the poetic and picturesque description of the countryside; but as an upright poet, some of his poems also reflect the bleak scenes of the countryside and the people. The pain of life. The poet's hometown is located in Jiangzhou, which was once the place where Huan Xuan launched his rebellion. Wars between warlords fighting for power and wars to suppress the Lu Xun peasant uprising were fought here many times. Agricultural production and farmers' lives have been severely damaged. "Book of Jin·Biography of Liu Yi" says: "Since Hengxuan, Jiangzhou has been destitute and ruined, so much so that the men are not supported and the women are unmatched. They have fled to other places without avoiding the depths. Since they have exhausted their financial resources, they cannot reach this point." "Although Tao Yuanming did not give a positive description of these wars, he did come into contact with the dilapidation of the countryside and the destruction of the production class. (Return to the countryside to live) The fourth saying:

I have been traveling in the mountains and rivers for a long time, and had fun in the wild woods. Try taking your children and nephews with you and walking in the deserted ruins. Wandering among the hills and sorrows, people still live in the past.

There are ruins in the stove, and there are decayed mulberry and bamboo trees. I would like to ask the firewood collector: "How does anyone know this?" The firewood collector said to me: "There is no return to love after death."

This sentence is true in different dynasties in one life! Life seems to be an illusion, and it will eventually be empty. none.

The villages have turned into ruins, the fields have turned into hills and ridges, the residents have died, and everywhere you look is desolate and dilapidated. Although the poet did not explain the reason, judging from the social background at that time, it was undoubtedly the war that caused this disturbing scene. In "Return to the Old Residence", the poet writes about the dilapidation of his former residence. "The streets are not old enough, and the houses are out of date. The former residence is surrounded by history, and the neighbors are rarely restored. Looking for traces of the past step by step, there is a special place to cling to." The description of this dilapidated scene shows that the poet has a clear understanding of rural life. He also described severe natural disasters and the difficulties of his own life.

(Poetry of Complaints of the Chu Dynasty by Deng Zhizhong, Master Pang) The poem says: "The scorching heat burns repeatedly, and moths and insects roam the fields. The wind and rain come in all directions, and the clothes are not full. I feel hungry in the summer, and I have no sleep in the cold night. I think about it at night. The rooster crows, and in the morning the birds wish to migrate." It writes about the plight of the poor harvest and the close proximity of hunger and cold. In the preface to the poem "Writing for Something", he also said: "The old grains are gone, the new customs have not yet been introduced, and I am quite an old farmer. However, it is time for disasters in the new year. The sun and moon are still long, and the troubles are not over. The merit of reaching the new year is already Don't hope that the fireworks will be able to work day and night. In the past ten days, I have been hungry and tired." In the poem, "when you are weak, you will be hungry when you are old; when you are old, you will be hungry; when you are ripe, you will be able to enjoy the sweetness and fat..." "...The heart of a person who is always good at porridge, misses Meng Xingfei deeply, why should he be stingy when he has no time to leave it?" It writes that his family's livelihood is on the verge of extinction and they have to accept charity from others to live. Hunger sometimes forced the poet to go out in search of food. His poem "Begging" is about his experience of becoming a beggar to escape hunger. The poet records all kinds of poverty, not without purpose, but because "if I don't describe it now, what will happen to future generations" ("Preface for Doing"), to let future generations know the hardship of life and how difficult it is to stay in poverty.

The fourth category expresses the poet’s beautiful social ideals.

Tao Yuanming was dissatisfied with the dark reality and pursued an ideal society very early, but failed to achieve it after several official posts. At that time, he could only seek the pattern of an ideal society from legendary ancient times. In his poem There is a sigh of "No arrests in the Yellow Tang Dynasty". In this way, his social ideals cannot but be hazy and abstract and have a strong tendency towards retroism. Finally, he turned to the countryside, lived in seclusion, farmed, and lived alone. Tao Yuanming's farming life ended so sadly, which may have been something he did not expect when he retired to seclusion. But as far as he is concerned, this is benevolence and benevolence, so there is no need to regret it! His ambition to work hard and not be an official has never wavered. He used to be a role model in cultivation, "Who is so poor and mad, but he is better than his predecessors." "The rich and the poor are always at war, and the victory is unforgettable." of high moral integrity. It was through his long-term pastoral life that the poet felt that the war and exploitation of the ruling class had brought pain, poverty and death to the people. He saw the reality that the working people "fleeed for work and did not avoid the deep" at that time, and realized the people's Desires and ideals led to the birth of an ideal society called "Peach Blossom Spring" and the creation of the famous poem "Poems of Peach Blossom Spring".

"Peach Blossom Spring Poem" is the work of Tao Yuanming in his later years. If "Returning Words" is Tao Yuanming's denial of officialdom and his pursuit of pastoralism, then "Peach Blossom Spring Poems" is Tao Yuanming's denial of the entire real world and his pursuit of fantasy ideals. Here, Tao Yuanming created a society without kings and ministers where "silkworms gather filaments in spring and ripens in autumn," which reminds us of the "promised land" in the fantasy of the working people in "The Book of Songs, Wei Feng, and Dun Mouse" . There:

Xiang was ordered to farm, and people were worried about it. Where the mulberry and bamboo are hanging down, the shuttlecock and millet will follow the time. In spring silkworms gather filaments, and in autumn they are ripe and ripe, said the king.

The deserted road warms the traffic, and the chickens and dogs bark at each other. The grains and beans are still made in the ancient way, and the clothes are made in the new way. Children and children are walking and singing, and they are white-haired and enjoying their walks.

The grass is strong and harmonious, and the wood is weak and strong. Although there is no record or calendar, the four seasons form their own years. You can enjoy yourself happily; why bother with wisdom?

This kind of society can only exist in the poet's fantasy, but it is also a criticism and denial of the dark society at that time, and represents the vast number of people who are difficult to survive under cruel political oppression and economic exploitation. The good wishes of workers. The Peach Blossom Spring-style society is not only the visualization of the ideals of ancient philosophers (such as Lao Zhuang, Ruan Ji's "The Theory of Masters", and Bao Jingyan's "The Theory of No King", all advocate the social theory of no king and no ministers), but also the poet's social theory based on Real life, an ideal blueprint for solving social problems.

"Peach Blossom Spring Poem" is a new stage of development of Tao Yuanming's pastoral poetry. It is not limited to exposing the darkness of real society, but focuses on proposing solutions to real social problems, showing the poet's high humanitarian spirit in saving people from suffering. This is a concentration and summary of the ideal elements in the poet's pastoral life. It represents the protest of small private producers against the feudal society that caused war and poverty. It reflects the strong desire of the majority of farmers to create a peaceful and happy life with their own labor. . Although it is still an impossible fantasy, it inspires people to understand the darkness of feudal society and inspires people to fight against unreasonable reality.

IV. The artistic characteristics of Tao Yuanming’s pastoral poetry

Tao Yuanming was the first poet in the history of Chinese poetry to write a lot about pastoral poetry. He founded the pastoral poetry school. His pastoral poems have a strong flavor of pastoral life; they are filled with the fragrance of grains, mulberry and hemp, filled with the joy and hardship of labor, and express the suffering of farmers' life. These pastoral poems exuding an earthy atmosphere were later combined with Xie Lingyun's landscape poems to form an endless school of landscape pastoral poetry. The innovative role of Tao Yuanming's pastoral poetry in the history of poetry lies in its impact on the metaphysical poetry that pervaded the poetry world, breaking the situation in which metaphysical poetry had dominated the poetry world since the late Wei Dynasty, and bringing a leisurely atmosphere to the poetry world. It is like a spring breeze that invigorates the suffocated poetry world. This spring breeze merged with Xie Lingyun's landscape poems, finally cleaning up the "tasteless" metaphysical poetry, completely liberating the poetry world, restoring the tradition that poetry should not be based on reasoning, but should be good at lyricism, radiating new artistic light .

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The artistic feature of Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems is most praised by later generations for its plain and natural style. "Tao is respected in ancient and modern times, and plainness is returned to plainness" (Huang Wenhuan's "Preface to the Analysis of Tao Poems"). with the same period. Different from the metaphysical poems that "talk about little taste", Tao Yuanming's blandness is the return to peace and tranquility after deep sorrow, and is full of love for daily life. Blandness and nature are not only Tao Yuanming's personality cultivation, but also his aesthetic pursuit. Therefore, most of the things that appear in Tao's poems are commonplace things. There are no strange images or elaborate sentences. The poet uses his leisurely feelings and real experience to transform the vulgar into the elegant, and the ordinary into the magical. This is the reason why Tao's poems are timeless.

The author believes that the expression of the artistic characteristics of "nature" in his pastoral poems can be discussed from three aspects.

First, the language is natural, concise and expressive. "Tao poetry was the natural state of social culture at that time. What kind of Tao Yuanming there is, there is also what kind of Tao poetry. 'Language is the home of existence', Tao poetry is Tao Yuanming's home." This metaphor can be described as vivid. Tao Yuanming's pastoral poems do not rely on decoration or carving, but use simple and natural language and sparse brushwork to concisely outline vivid images and convey profound connotations, thereby achieving the artistic effect of freehand brushwork. However, in fact, the language of Tao Yuanming's poems is not unrefined, but is highly refined and refined, and only then appears plain and natural. From this perspective, Tao Yuanming's refining and use of words can be said to have reached a very high level. Achievements. As Yuan Haowen said: "One word is natural and eternal, and the luxury is pure and true." ("On Poetry Quatrains")

Secondly, the artistic style is calm, natural, mellow and timeless. Fang Dongshu, a man of the Qing Dynasty, once said: "When reading Tao Gong's poems, you should focus on the real things, real scenes, and truths. It doesn't bother you to cut the rope and make it fit together." The four words "true" show the strong sense of reality in Tao Gong's poems. The "natural" energy is strong. Generally speaking, the themes and content of his pastoral poems are mostly drawn from his life after returning to seclusion. He regards labor as a natural way of life, and believes that although the self-cultivating life is hard and tiring, it is the purest form of life closest to the pastoral. Natural nature life. The objects described in his poems are also common things, such as cottages, chickens and dogs, mulberry trees, bean sprouts, farming, wind and rain, etc. They all describe the objects and events directly, without paying attention to the beauty of the words. A few rough strokes can outline the charm of the scenery, making it more similar in form and spirit. This kind of line drawing skills reveal rich associations in the plainness, and the "light and eternal" artistic conception of poetry is born in the associations. It can be said that "very ordinary scenery has its own interest" and "there is no word of modification, but there is endless wonderful flavor."

Thirdly, the artistic realm is lofty and unconventional, natural and pure. It is mainly reflected in the pursuit of the integration and unity of emotion, scene, event and reason. Tao Yuanming once said in "The Biography of Mr. Wu Liu": "I often write articles to entertain myself, which quite expresses my ambitions. I forget my gains and losses and end my life in this way." It can be seen that the characteristic of his pastoral poems is that he uses "meaning" as his poem, "writing directly from the heart to the sky" "(Yuan Haowen). In fact, poetry also comes directly from nature - touching the scenery creates emotions, so "poems are beautiful because of emotions". The charm of Tao's poems lies in the artistic realm of diluted beauty created by the language that naturally flows out of his temperament; in that the poems are full of emotional power, but at the same time soothing, peaceful, and rarely agitated. They are rigorously combined with calm philosophical thinking to create The artistic conception is lofty and unconventional; it lies in extracting profound connotations and philosophies from ordinary life materials, so as to realize the realm of pastoral poetry in which things and I blend together and scenes are intertwined. Generally speaking, the artistic conception of Tao's poems is relatively complete, and it is better to infect readers as a whole unit, rather than attracting readers with each word, sentence or fragment.

Creating a deep and complete artistic conception is also an important feature of Tao Yuanming's pastoral poetry art. Tao Shi is good at using line drawing techniques to outline scenery and color the environment. Instead of admiring the physical form, he mainly focuses on freehand brushwork. The lonely pine trees, autumn chrysanthemums, white clouds, and returning birds that often appear in the poem all have symbolic meanings, expressing the poet's own character and full of his emotions. Tao's poems often use simple language to express some philosophies of life in their lyrical descriptions of scenery, integrating emotions, scenery, and reason to create a profound and profound poetic artistic conception.

The language of Tao's poems is unique and is not affected by the parallel writing style at that time. Most of the poems are close to spoken language and approachable. Sentences such as "The house is built in a human environment, without the noise of cars and horses"; "The weather is good today, the breeze is clear and the cicadas are chirping"; "Life has a way, and food and clothing are essential" are as clear as words. The simple and candid language also reflects the unnatural style.

Reference materials: Searched on the Internet, summarize and refine it, you can refine it from several aspects you mentioned.