Anecdotes about poetry

Wang Bo, Wang Bo, born in Longmen, Jiangzhou (now Hejin County, Shanxi Province), was one of the four outstanding figures in the early Tang Dynasty. Wang Bo was the grandson of Wang Tong, a great scholar in the late Sui Dynasty. Wang is the second son. His name is Fu Jiao, and his second name is Fu Zhi. Fuxi is Wang Bo's father. He used to be Doctor Taichang, Yongzhou Secretariat, Jiaozhi County Order, Liuhe County Order and Governor of Qi State. It can be seen that Wang Bo grew up in a scholarly family. There is still controversy about Wang Bo's date of birth and death. Yang Jiong's Preface to Wang Bo said that he died in Tang Gaozong in the third year of Shang Yuan (676) at the age of 28. Accordingly, Wang Boying was born in the 23rd year of Zhenguan of Emperor Taizong (649). Wang Bo's "Ode to Spring Thoughts" contains: "The second year of Xianheng (67 1) was in the spring and autumn years." According to this calculation, he was born in the first year of Emperor Gaozong Yonghui (65O). This is Wang Bo's self-report, which should be believed. Therefore, most scholars now believe that Wang Bo was born in the first year of Yonghui (650), died in the third year of Shangyuan (676), and was born at the age of 27. Wang Bo was a very talented poet in the early Tang Dynasty. It's really a pity that he only lived for 27 years. Wang Bo was smart and studious since childhood, which was recognized by people at that time. The Book of the Old Tang Dynasty originally said that Wang Bo: "At the age of six, he is a writer, and his thoughts are not stagnant. His words are ingram micro, similar to his brothers and talents. His father and friend Du often called him: "This is the three-bead tree of Wang." Another Yang Jiong's Preface to the Collection of Wang Bo said: "When I was nine years old, I read Yanshi's Hanshu, and my fingers were missing ten volumes. At the age of ten, I have mastered the Six Classics, and the moon is full. I will repay it with my own voice. It is a Millennium opportunity to learn from the past for a hundred years. " Too often Liu Bo called Wang Ji a prodigy. In the first year of Linde, Tang Gaozong (664), Wang Bo wrote to Liu Xiangdao, the right minister, and said in the letter, "Therefore, those who are generous to the monarch are angry with their hearts and ears", and asked Liu Xiangdao to recommend them. Liu was recommended to North Korea, and was awarded the position of North Korea Sanlang at the request of Linde for three years (666). At this time, Wang Bocai 14 years old was still a teenager. When Pei Wang Li Xianwen heard about his name, he called it writing an article and loved him very much. Kings at that time often had fun fighting cocks. In order to have fun, they wrote "Chicken of Zhou Wang", which turned out to be a disaster. Tang Gaozong thinks this is to make the kings clash and drive Wang Bo out of Pei Wangmi. In fact, Wang Bo was beaten this time, not because he really angered Emperor Gaozong because of the "chicken of Zhou Wang", but because he was jealous of his talent, so Yang Jiong's "Preface to Wang Bo" said that he was "not allowed to show his face in the play, just looking for the first time." After being driven out of Pei, he visited Shu, drank poetry wine with Yang Jiong and others, and fell in love. "Biography of Yang Jiong in Old Tang Dynasty" said: "Yang Jiong is as famous as Lu and Lu, and he is also called Luo, the king of the sea, also known as the four outstanding men." Four outstanding writers in the early Tang Dynasty are a very famous group in the history of China literature. As a group, they opposed the decadent aesthetic atmosphere since the Six Dynasties, "thinking about its disadvantages and using its ambition", devoted themselves to the reform of the style of writing in the Six Dynasties, put forward some innovative opinions, and began to lead poetry from the palace to the market, from the Taige to the Jiangshan and Frontier fortress, with expanded themes and fresh and vigorous styles, which played an important role in getting rid of the style of Qi Liang and creating a new atmosphere in Tang poetry. Through the efforts of his contemporaries, he established his position in the history of China literature with his unique writing style. Talking about the history of literature in China, especially in the Tang Dynasty, there is no one who does not talk about Wang Yang and Luo Lu. The second blow to Wang Bo was that when Zhou Guo joined the army and committed a crime, he killed a hidden official slave. In the second year of Xianheng (67 1), he returned to Chang 'an from Shu to participate in the topic selection. At that time, his friend Ling, a judge, said that he was rich in medicinal materials and he knew them, so he found a small job in his army. When he was a soldier in Zhou State, a slave named Cao Da committed a crime. He hid the criminal, and later, for fear of leaking the news, he killed Cao Da and committed a capital crime. Fortunately, he was not executed under the amnesty. This is a strange thing. Why does Wang Bo want to protect the criminal Cao Da? He hid to protect him. How could he kill him? According to the old and new Records of the Tang Dynasty, Wang Bo's misfortune this time is due to his arrogance and being envied by his colleagues. Some people suspect that Cao Da, an official slave, designed and framed Wang Bo for his colleagues, or that it was simply framed, which makes sense. In short, Wang Bo suffered two blows, both related to his genius superman. Although he didn't die in this disaster, he declared the end of his career and brought trouble to his father. Wang Fuzhi was exiled to the southern wilderness because his son Wang Bo committed a crime. Wang Bo went to Jiao Jiao to visit his father and drowned on the way, ending his young life. It is impossible to find out whether Wang Bo died or committed suicide while crossing the sea. After all, he died with a cavity of grief and indignation. Wang Bo's poetry and prose are excellent, and he deserves to be the first of the four outstanding poets. He made great contributions to reversing the legacy of Qi and Liang Dynasties and creating Tang poems, leaving some immortal masterpieces for later generations. His five-character poem "Farewell to Vice Governor Du's Office in Shu" has become a masterpiece in the history of China's poetry, which has been passed down for a long time. "However, China holds our friendship, and heaven is still our neighbor" has become a famous sentence, which is often quoted by people throughout the ages. Wang Bo is most praised and told for thousands of years by his Preface to Tengwang Pavilion. On this matter, Tang Yanyan recorded it in the most detailed way. In the autumn of the second year of Yuan Dynasty (675), Wang Bo went to Jiao Jiao to visit his father. When I passed by Nanchang, I was just catching up with Yan Xinjian Pavilion, the governor of Nanchang, where a banquet was held on the Double Ninth Festival. Wang Bo went to visit, and the satrap of Yan heard of his reputation and invited him to a banquet. Yan's party is to show off the talent of his son-in-law Meng. Let the son-in-law prepare a preface in advance and show it to everyone as an impromptu writing during the dinner. At the banquet, the governor of Yan asked people to take out paper and pen, pretending to let everyone preface this great event. Everyone knew his intention, so they refused to write, but Wang Bo, a young junior in his twenties, didn't refuse. He picked up a pen and paper and wrote in public. Yan's boss was unhappy, so he brushed his clothes and transferred them to his account to show people what Wang Bo had written. I heard that Wang Bo wrote at the beginning that "Zhang Yu is an old county and Hongdu is a new house", and the governor said, "This is just a cliche. I also heard that "the stars are divided into wings, and the ground meets Lu Heng", and I was thoughtful and silent. When he heard that "the sunset is lonely in Qi Fei, and the autumn waters are the same color," the governor had to gasp in admiration: "This is a genius, and it should be immortal!" . "Biography of Talented Talents in the Tang Dynasty" records: "Bo delightedly teased guests, and he did it in an instant. Without adding a word, the room was full of surprises." What is recorded in Tang Yan and other books may be exaggerated, but Wang Bo's Preface to Wang Tengting is indeed an immortal masterpiece. Wang Bo prefaced "Wang Tengting" at the Yan DuDu banquet in Nanchang. This is the most touching story in the history of China literature. Wang Bo in The Legend of the New Tang Dynasty belongs to literature. At first, he didn't think it over carefully. First, I ground a few liters of ink, and then I drank so much that I was led on the ground and couldn't write a word. "Tang Duan also said:" Youyang Miscellaneous Language ":"Every time Wang Bo praises a monument, he first grinds a few liters of ink and leads him to lie on the surface. Suddenly, he began to count. At first, he didn't jump. People called it a draft. " It can be seen from this that Wang Bowen's wit is extraordinary, and Teng's improvisation is a masterpiece through the ages, which is not a false biography. As a gifted writer in ancient times, Wang Bo died before he was 30 years old, which is really a great loss for China literature. Bai Juyi, a famous poet in the Tang Dynasty, devoted his life to Luoyang, the eastern capital of the Tang Dynasty. He went to Luoyang many times when he was an official, and lived in seclusion in Luoyang 18 years in his later years until he died of old age and was buried in Xiangshan Temple in Longmen. Now all descendants of Bai live in Luoyang, and the legendary story of Bai Juyi is familiar to Luoyang people. First, Chang' an Migui Bai Juyi was diligent in reading and studying hard since he was a child. He not only has a tight grasp of time, but also works hard. It is said that Bai Juyi read a lot, even the skin of his lips was worn out and there were many aphtha, but he didn't stop. He wrote so much that his arms were covered with thick calluses. Coupled with his own intelligence, Bai Juyi became famous all over the world very early. When Bai Juyi was fifteen, he went to Chang 'an to study. According to the practice at that time, he took his manuscript to the famous scholar Gu Kuang's house for advice. Gu Kuang is a world-famous scholar. Seeing a young man visit is a contempt for him. He saw the name on Bai Juyi's manuscript and looked at the boy in front of him for a long time before saying, "Beijing Chang 'an is expensive. It's hard to live! " But Gu Kuang is a scholar after all. He has carefully read Bai Juyi's manuscript. When Gu Kuang saw the first poem "Cao Fang", he could not help but be awed. He read aloud: "the endless grass on the plain, with the seasons coming and going, has never been completely swallowed up by wildfire, and they have grown taller in the spring breeze." After reading the manuscript submitted by Bai Juyi, I can't help but admire: "I used to think that there was no big hand to inherit everyone in my last life. Today it seems that I was wrong. Just now I was joking when I said' Chang 'an is expensive, but it is difficult to live in it'. I don't think it's easy for you to stand in Chang 'an. It seems that it should be changed. " Gu Kuang paused and said, "Chang 'an is expensive, but you can live easily! "Bai Juyi became famous after being praised by celebrities Gu Kuang. He soon entered the official career and made some achievements. Second, after Bai Juyi retired to Luoyang in officialdom for 30 years, he finally had the intention of retiring. At the age of 52, Bai Juyi was appointed as the secretariat of Hangzhou. He doesn't want to go to Chang 'an and plans to retire from Luoyang. He raised money to buy an old official residence in Luoyang, the eastern capital, and realized his long-cherished wish of "being honest with me". According to legend, Bai Juyi Mansion covers an area of about 17 mu, of which water accounts for one fifth, bamboo accounts for one ninth and houses account for one third. There are two Tianzhu stones and a pair of Huating cranes in the house. There is a garden in the house called "Dayu Temple Garden". There is a pool in the garden with more than 1000 bamboo poles. But just after the mansion was cleaned up, the court ordered Bai Juyi to be the secretariat of Suzhou. In the next few years, although I went back to Los Angeles from time to time to make friends, I didn't have much time. Until the age of 58, Bai Juyi, as a guest of the prince, divided Luoyang into the capital. He sang with emotion: "Stay long, come back today for a long time." After that, he lived in Luoyang for eighteen years until his death. Third, when Bai Juyi retired to Luoyang, Bajie Beach, a river in Yimei, Longmen, was steep and the riverbed was uneven. From time to time, there are "sharp-edged" rocks protruding from the water surface, and cobblestones accumulate to hinder the waterway. Ships and rafts often hit rocks when they are in distress. People call this place "Bajie Beach". Bai Juyi often goes to the Xiangshan Temple in Longmen to meditate and listen to the scriptures. He calls himself "a Buddhist in Xiangshan". He often sees boatmen pushing boats out and pushing them across the beach. Especially in the cold winter, the biting wind blows along the river, and the boatmen break the thin ice barefoot, shake their bodies and push the boat forward. The poet was so sad that he began to cry. Sometimes I can't sleep all night, listening to the groans of the hungry and cold boatmen. He thought: this waterway must be built to relieve people's suffering. After four years in Huichang, Tang Wuzong, 73-year-old Bai Juyi met a friend, a sorrowful monk. Speaking of building a waterway, the three of them are like-minded, and they jointly implemented the plan. They went from village to village and lobbied from all directions to persuade wealthy families to contribute and poor families to contribute. In the case of insufficient funds raised, Bai Juyi not only took out his savings, but also reluctantly sold his beloved fur coat and the silver saddle jade belt given by Yuan Jia when writing an epitaph for his good friend Yuan Zhen. Bajie beach has finally been repaired, and the boats and rafts can be unimpeded. The poet was ecstatic and in high spirits. "There are other happy things in my heart, and I opened the Longmen Eight Beaches. He also wrote "Two Poems on Stone Beach in Longmen Eight Sections", one of which reads: Seventy-three Weng died and vowed to open a dangerous road for Tianjin. No boat capsized at night, and the shin never suffered from it. Ten miles on the beach turn into a river man, and eight prisons in cold and yin turn into spring. Although my heart has always been there, I secretly pity future generations. A difficult task is a smooth road, and poor boatmen will never forget the poet's kindness from generation to generation. Before today's Longmen Bridge was completed, when the Bai people on the west bank of the river crossed the river to pay homage to the poet's grave at Pipa Peak, as long as they said they were descendants of the poet, the boatmen would immediately greet them with smiles, free of charge. Four, Xiangshan nine old legends, Xiangshan layman Bai Juyi had six old friends in Luoyang after 70 years old. They are Gustav Hugo, Ji Jiao, Zheng Zhi, Serina Liu, Lu Zhen and Zhang Hun. They are all over 70 years old. Add Bai Juyi and seven old. They met many times in Bai Juyi's mansion and Longmen Xiangshan Temple, hosted banquets and made poems to celebrate their old age. Therefore, they called themselves "seven old clubs" and became the most influential gathering of sages in Luoyang, the eastern capital at that time. Bai Juyi once wrote a special account. He wrote in the preface: "Hu, Ji, Zheng, Liu, Lu, Zhang and other six sages live longer than me." "Occasionally combine disadvantages. Seven old care for both drunk. Think quietly, this will be rare. So, write it as a poem and pass on the good deeds. " Later, a learned and respected monk, Ru Man, and a poet, Li, aged 136, joined the seven old Society and became nine years old. At that time, people's average life expectancy was very low. Old people over nine years old often got together, and there were famous poets from all over the world, centenarian monks admired by the world, and the oldest old man in Luoyang history. Therefore, their party is more legendary. At that time, people respectfully called them "Xiangshan Jiulao". They drank wine and wrote poems, which became a much-told story in Luoyang. Bai Juyi's friend once drew a picture of Nine Old Mountains for their party. For thousands of years, the gathering of "Xiangshan Jiulao" has been talked about by people. 5. Bai Juyi, a tomb near the Jedi, unfortunately died in August of the sixth year of Huichang (846). Before his death, his will was buried in the tomb of a monk such as Man in Xiangshan Temple in Longmen, and it will always be with the mountains and rivers in Longmen. According to his will, his family buried him at Pipa Peak in Xiangshan. Legend has it that at that time, everyone who came to Luoyang and passed through Longmen, from princes and nobles to pawns, as far away as messengers from Japan and North Korea, and as close as Luoyang residents, would sprinkle wine and poems in front of Bai Juyi's tomb to show their memory. Because almost everyone is a reader of Bai Juyi. Anyone who has been to Xiangshan will find Bai Juyi's tomb near the Jedi if he pays a little attention. Legend has it that Bai Juyi became more and more aware of the darkness of officialdom during his long-term ups and downs in officialdom. In his later years, the poet was indifferent to his official career and attached to the mountains and rivers. Looking at each other coldly from the outside, I realized the sinister nature of Guanhai. Therefore, he was completely disappointed in his career. Moreover, he doesn't want to follow in his footsteps and waste his life in officialdom. Therefore, the poet told his descendants: From now on, it will be handed down from generation to generation and never go out to be an official again. He also studies Feng Shui. Seeing that Pipa Peak is steep in front and wide in water below, it is a Jedi, which is a taboo in choosing a tomb site. He deliberately abandoned Beimang's land of geomantic omen and chose his tomb site at the top of the Pipa Peak facing the Jedi in order to break his bureaucratic style.