Explanation of the Chaling Poetry School

From the Chenghua to Hongzhi years of the early Ming Dynasty, Li Dongyang presided over the poetry circle as a cabinet minister, and his followers flocked to him, forming a Chaling school named after his place of origin. School of Poetry?. In view of the vulgar and cumbersome style of the Taige style, he put forward the idea of ??"taking a look at the Tang Dynasty from the Song Dynasty" and poetically studying the Han and Tang Dynasties, emphasizing the mastery of the legal tone. Because he served successively as a pavilion and pavilion and did not go abroad for forty years, his poetic style is graceful, elegant, upright and beautiful, but there are still lingering traces of the Tai Pavilion style. But other works break away from the Taige style, show a broad social perspective, and express the author's personal true feelings and mental state. It is natural, fresh, interesting, uncarved, and has a strong flavor of life.

The Origin of the Chaling School of Poetry

After the Chenghua and Hongzhi periods of the Ming Dynasty, as the internal conflicts within the ruling group deepened, the officialdom became increasingly decadent and the society was in turmoil. In the face of serious internal and external troubles, the Taige style of writing, which was dedicated to whitewashing peace and separated from the real life of society, could no longer be maintained. The poetry world was in urgent need of new poetry creation theories to guide the creation and development of poetry.

The artistic style of the Chaling School of Poetry

The Taige-style poetry pursues the pursuit of simplicity, elegance and elegance in style, which is in line with the prosperous times. , has a greater relationship with the theme content of "Ode to Peace". There are still some traces of Taige style left in the Chaling Poetry School's poems, showing a graceful and simple style, such as Li Dongyang's "Qingcheng Banquet, Second Jiao Shaozai Rhyme? Part 1":? Banners surround a team of thousands of people, Gun embroidery has five distinct colors of light. This style of poetry occupies a certain proportion in the works of the Chaling Poetry School, but unlike the Taige style, their poetry style is not limited to this, but incorporates more new factors. The Chaling Poetry School's concern for personal emotions and people's livelihood gave the poems two styles: fresh and elegant, and desolate and melancholy. Influenced by Li Dongyang's theory of style, the rhythm is strict.

　(1) Fresh and elegant

The Chaling Poetry School is no longer limited to the graceful and elegant style of Taige style poetry. They felt overwhelmed by the sinister official career at that time and tried to find their soul. The tranquility and the way out for the soul, focusing on the daily life of lower-class farmers. At the same time, also influenced by "wild folklore", his creations began to tend to the quiet and elegant style of mountain and forest poetry. Among their works, there are many poems describing farm life. These poems have a fresh and natural style, elegant artistic conception, and full of interest, giving people a refreshing feeling. For example:

At the end of spring, Tian Jialang has not returned, and the cold rain in the small pond is trying on clothes.

When the mulberry trees in the garden are green, silkworms are beginning to ripen, and when the wild wheat is green, pheasants are beginning to fly.

──("Chaling Bamboo Branch Song? Part 7")

The poet outlines a pastoral scene with "small pond", "cool rain", "early silkworms", "green wheat", "wild pheasants", etc. This is a fresh, bright, tranquil and elegant picture of late spring, which makes people feel refreshed and purified after reading it.

(2) Desolation and depression

Worry about the fate of the country and concern for people’s lives are the embodiment of the realism spirit of the Chaling School of Poetry. Among their poems, many are concerned about the country and the people. Their deep worries and helpless emotions have formed a desolate and melancholy style.

Li Dongyang's "White Poplar" describes the painful life of the people in the famine years. ?The road passes Baiyang River, which is shallow and muddy. Living under the cover of the river, people come and go endlessly? The naked people gathered by the shallow and muddy river. They bowed their heads as if they had gained something, and rejoiced proudly. They were just happy because they dug something edible by the river. What a sad scene this is, hunger can torture people to such an extent! We are not in a ditch, and our business is even more heavy. ?This is the author’s deep concern. The whole poem has a low tone, heavy emotions, and a desolate and melancholy style. (3) Strict rhythm

"Lutang Poetry" is the poetic program of the Chaling School of Poetry, in which the theory of style, which plays a core role, is bound to play a guiding role in the creation of Chaling poets. The works of the Chaling School of Poetry pay attention to the harmony of vocals and the ups and downs of rhythm, showing the musical beauty of regular rhythm. Li Dongyang's Yuefu poems are representative. For example: "Three-Character Prison" (Volume 2):

The world cherished the crony and relegated Li Di.

Three-character prison, the world will obey. If you don’t obey, kill Wu Mu.

Treacherous ministers who defeat the country are not afraid of heaven, and they only talk about things and have no power.

Yazhou's death was not a happy one, and he regretted Shi Lang's horse stabbing him in front of him.

This poem expresses its emotions with the help of musical rhythm. The first two sentences start with six three-character phrases, which formally reflects the symmetrical beauty of the poem. At the same time, it uses urgent sounds and ups and downs intonation. To convey emotional indignation, this not only conforms to the requirements of the rhythm, but also strengthens the expression of subjective emotions.

The historical status of the Chaling School of Poetry