Zhou Bangyan was a famous poet in the Northern Song Dynasty. He was born in 1056. He was loose but extremely studious when he was young. Later he became a student of Taixue. He served as an official for many years and traveled abroad for a long time. However, in general It is said that the official career is on the rise.

Portrait of Zhou Bangyan

During the Shenzong period, Zhou Bangyan presented the emperor with a piece of "Biandu Fu" praising Wang Anshi's reforms, thus becoming famous all over the world and being promoted to the Imperial Academy. Teacher, he soon began to be transferred to other places, and served as a professor in Luzhou and the magistrate of Lishui County. Later, Zhou Bangyan was recalled by the emperor to become a capital official, and then served as a prefect in various places. When Huizong came to the throne, he was promoted to the Dasheng Mansion, that is, the manager of the music institution. Finally, he died in 1121 at the age of 66 because of his close association with Cai Jing.

It can be seen from his appointment in Dasheng Mansion that Zhou Bangyan was proficient in music and rhythm, and he indeed composed music and lyrics by himself. Therefore, in addition to being a lyricist, he is also a musician. Zhou Bangyan created many new lyrics and tunes, such as "Suo Chuang Han", "Rui Long Yin", "Flower Fan" and other lyrics, all of which were composed by him. Therefore, his lyrics also placed great emphasis on meter, so he was called the founder of metrical poetry by later generations, and his works have long been respected as the authentic form of graceful poetry. And this point gave Zhou Bangyan the reputation of "Lao Du in Ci". Du Fu, the "sage of poetry", required precise word refinement and neat counterpoints in terms of meter, and the same was true for Zhou Bangyan.

Most of Zhou Bangyan's poems write about friendship, travel, or chanting about objects. Because the subject matter is relatively concentrated and there are few other themes, Zhou Bangyan is said by Wang Guowei to have "less creative words and more creative words", but he is still a first-rate poet.

Is there a relationship between Liu Yong and Zhou Bangyan?

Liu Yong and Zhou Bangyan are both famous poets in the Northern Song Dynasty, and they are often referred to together. They are all representatives of the graceful school, and they are all good at writing emotions in their lyrics. However, every great person is not similar. These two people can be said to be in their own family, so there are many differences.

Portrait of Liu Yong

To discuss the differences between Liu Yong and Zhou Bangyan, we have to start from their life times. Liu Yongsheng was born in the early Northern Song Dynasty, while Zhou Bangyan was born in the late Northern Song Dynasty. Therefore, the styles of their lyrics were deeply influenced by the times in which they lived. Liu Yong's poetry inherits and develops the characteristics of the Tang and Five Dynasties periods. It is biased toward vulgarity, and his style is very free and popular without being deliberate. Therefore, it is said that "anywhere where there is well water to drink, one can sing Liu's poetry." Zhou Bangyan's lyrics inherited the lyrics from before the Northern Song Dynasty, including Su Shi's and Liu Yong's, and tended to be elegant. Moreover, he paid great attention to style, often studying the pronunciation and refining the words, and also invented some lyrics for his own lyrics. On the one hand, this is because he is proficient in music, and on the other hand, it is difficult to surpass his predecessors in terms of content.

Although Liu Yong and Zhou Bangyan have both been in officialdom for a long time, and have also hung out with singers and other brothel girls, there are still differences in their lives. In terms of life experience, Zhou Bangyan is not as good as Liu Yong. This is reflected in Liu Yong's lyrics, which are varied in theme and content, while Zhou Bangyan's is relatively monotonous, focusing on grievances and travel.

In addition, another major difference in the styles of these two poets lies in the way of expression. Liu Yong's lyricism often expresses his feelings directly, without euphemism, and is a straightforward expression. Although Zhou Bangyan also has such sincere words, he mostly expresses himself by chanting objects or borrowing scenes, which is more resentful.

In any case, Liu Yong and Zhou Bangyan are masters of Song poetry. The former was the greatest poet in the early Northern Song Dynasty, and the latter became the master of graceful poetry on the basis of inheritance.

What is the main content of Zhou Bangyan's "Lang Tao Sha Slow"

"Lang Tao Sha Slow·Dawn Overcast" is a song written by Zhou Bangyan, a famous poet sent to Beijing. The lyrics were selected into "Three Hundred Song Poems". The title of this poem is composed of two parts. Among them, "Lang Tao Sha Man" is a commonly used word brand name for writing poems, and "Xiao Yin Zhong" is the real name of this poem. The main theme of the word is to be sentimental about spring. The whole word is divided into three parts. The upper part is about recalling the seasonal weather and saying goodbye to the fallen willows. Zhongque writes about his thoughts and feelings after saying goodbye, while Xiaque writes about complaining, but not about people, but about not being able to meet people in spring.

Pictures accompanying "Slow Waves on the Sand"

Let's take a detailed look at the content of this word. First up: On a cloudy and foggy morning, the carriage on South Street was waiting to set off, and the banquet outside the east gate had also stopped. The tender green branches and willows are gently brushing against people's faces. And I covered my face with my hands to wipe away my tears, and personally picked the farewell willows. Remembering that after they parted ways in Hanpu, she was like a swan goose that flew away to nowhere, and no news came for a long time. The poem above mainly expresses emotion through scenery, and highlights the desolate and miserable state of mind of the poet by describing the deserted and lonely scene in the early morning.

Next is Zhongque: I look at the misty and distant heaven and earth with deep affection. In this cold and clear season, I can only taste the loneliness brought by the long night. I lament that the most unforgettable thing in this world is the pain of parting. The wine in the jade cup in my hand has not been finished yet, I just hope that the remaining clouds in the sky will keep the bright moon setting in the west tower. The middle palace continues the sad and miserable scene of the upper palace, further depicting the poet's parting mood.

Finally, there is Xiaque: the silk belt has lost its luster, the embroidered quilt has been folded aside, the chain lock has been unlocked, and the fragrance of the old man has long since dissipated. I sang a song of resentment for a long time, and the jade pot was knocked to pieces by me. What's deplorable is that spring doesn't come with us, and the only things left to decorate the night are pear blossoms all over the ground. Xia Que uses five destroyed things in succession to tell the torture of separation and at the same time convey the depth of resentment.