Tan Sou

(one)

In the tenth year of Chongzhen, Tan Yuanchun (word Youxia, No. Huwan, also No. Minoweng) trekked on the way to the capital. He was bumpy and tired. He walked to Changdian, and when he was still thirty miles away from Beijing, he left suddenly.

At this time, the world has already reached the overall situation of Ding Revolution. This poet, who is also known as Zhong Xing, was appreciated ten years ago and became the first name in a province. Looking back now, it is difficult to comment on whether it was a blessing or a curse. Even if he is allowed to choose, I am afraid he will not easily give up this half-life search.

In general literary history, until the late Ming Dynasty, "Zhong Tan" was always mentioned, and the two men's propositions were regarded as a reaction against the "Kansan School". After the three yuan of the public security, they wanted to change the situation of superficial words and take a different path in response to the abuses after his popularity. This different aesthetic proposition insisted on "deep and lonely", which was called "Jingling School" at that time.

However, later generations did not evaluate the two of them highly, Qian Qianyi quoted the opinion of the people of the time, "Bo Jing entered the room of Zhonglang, but his thoughts were different. , It is often seen that he does not know how to measure. Youxia does not set up a new way, especially for carving, so that his talent is not strange, so he loses his fineness, his knowledge is not deep, so he loses his vulgarity, and his spirituality is not expensive, so he loses his ghost, and his elegance is not elegant. Therefore, it is contemptible to lose, and it can be summed up in one sentence, in short, the disease of not reading.”

In the evaluation of these two people, later generations often give a pretentious impression in this kind of cringe, quirky words and dangerous rhyme.

But at that time it was popular all over the world, there must be its reasons, and to judge a poet, often depends on his creation.

(two)

It's just that this text is not a poem review, let alone a literary history.

I mention him only because of a small essay "Tan Sou Poems", which is a small preface written by Tan Yuanchun for a country poet.

This old man Tan, who has no fame, has an image similar to Fan Jin who was in the middle and Kong Yiji who was behind. But this person has transcendence, which is his ignorance. It is the fault of Xiangling in the Grand View Garden: love to write poetry.

Originally, he made a living by teaching students, but this bowl of rice is not delicious. It is said that if you do not cultivate in previous lives, you will be the king of children in this life. What's more, even this kind of living is not sustainable in the end. Once there are no students, it is empty-handed.

It says he:

That is, in the middle of the ditch, I called it the middle of the poem, and the people in the middle often laughed and scolded him, saying, "The cow also calls itself a poem?" The old man laughed when he heard it.

Which friend has never heard of such a thing. When I read the biographies or creative experiences of many writers, I often mentioned how my first famous book was frequently hit. In every writing class, there are always beginners who think they are geniuses, looking forward to it. When will I write my own masterpiece, and I have already prepared that wonderful pseudonym.

It's a pity that such people are often ridiculed by "cow".

There are probably no less than three writers in the memoirs that I have seen, who have received similar comments: "Go find another job, you will never succeed".

Therefore, those who can write down are often delusional. This kind of delusion does not lie in the presence or absence of genius, but in the unstoppable and unstoppable. Footballers don't need to be all stars to get off the field. Even if you are seven or eighty years old, as long as you are healthy, you can still enjoy playing football happily. Singing, playing the violin, and even model crafting, it seems that any profession can tolerate the participation of enthusiasts, why not write poetry?

It's one thing to be able to exchange money, it's another to have to write.

(three)

What about the relationship between Tan Sou and Tan Yuanchun?

The two did not know each other.

But Tan Yuanchun is famous for poetry after all, even in his own village.

As if a novelist has been recognized by the publishing industry, even if it does not sell many bestsellers, it still has a position and is enough to act as a judge.

It's like Proust's first volume, "Reminiscence of the Years Like Water," which asked Gide to read it, but Gide's reaction was that he was extremely uncomfortable with this narrative style, barely watching the famous insomnia scene, and then read it again. After the detailed description of a cup of tea, I felt that this book was too boring, and I rejected the manuscript.

Of course, Gide apologized afterward for his wrong judgment.

But this old man Tan's visit to Tan Yuanchun was delayed again and again for three years.

Rather than trusting Tan Yuanchun's own explanation, it is more about the hesitation and hesitation of a poet who loves poetry, so when he finally made up his mind, he decided to ask Tan Yuanchun's younger brother, "Brother Er, please show it to me. ".

Isn't that the case with all people when they can't identify themselves?

An old man who likes to write poetry, even if he is ridiculed, still laughs away, but when he faces a truly trustworthy judge, he cannot help but feel uneasy and hesitate again and again.

So how does Tan Yuanchun evaluate this old man's poem?

(Four)

Anyway, the younger brother who accepted the request did not look down on this old man. Even the poems that were transferred were not good after seeing the paper first, and they were in tatters. ' promised. As for what this smile really means, I don't think Tan Sou would care about it, nor would he care.

Fortunately, when Tan Yuanchun came back, his younger brother still fulfilled his promise and gave him the complete poem scroll.

So, did Tan Yuanchun meet a talented poet?

The result is really unsatisfactory. This is not a poet who can impress readers when he meets him. He does not have the talent to banish immortals, and he is not a genius buried in the countryside.

Tan Yuanchun was quite patient. He didn't read a few pages like Gide, and then pick it up. If you are not interested, you can reject the manuscript.

He read through the articles and read them carefully one by one. Of course, he would not comment on the bad ones, but he would not give up halfway.

It wasn't until I read the three poems "The Old Man's Sickness" that I had the meaning of nodding:

Like hearing his moaning, like seeing his dry draft, like holding a chong to wait for an old friend to arrive, like a white-haired wife mumbling by the side. People are worthy of self-assessment, even though they are old and sick, they can't speak for it.

What I can't do is that you are alone everywhere.

Since then, Tan Yuanchun and this old man Tan have been in frequent contact with each other, and they have similar temperaments. They often see Tan Sou's new poems. After accumulating twenty-three poems, they plan to print them into a book. This is also the origin of this preface.

I actually wanted to read these poems, but I couldn't find them, maybe there are, but I'm afraid it's not that easy to find.

It can be seen from Tan Yuanchun's own evaluation that the reason why he is willing to read, engrave, and write the preface is not the poet's shrewdness or the quality of the poetry, as he said:

So old man... When I listened to Yu and took his poems, they were all at a loss, and felt that it was not the original intention.

Although this old man Tan likes to write poems, he doesn't understand why Tan Yuanchun thinks this one is good and the other one is bad, and he doesn't even know if there is really something in his heart that he wants to say in these evaluations.

Isn't this the Ming Dynasty version of "What do you know about "Dream of Red Mansions", Cao Xueqin?

(five)

At the end of this "Tan Sou Poems", like a biography, there is a "Tai Shi Gong Yue".

Tan Jushi said, "I know that the ancient poets are not always like this old man?"

maybe.

It's like today's gourmets, but they cook a banquet in an antique style, and then eat it without taste and taste, and say: This is the taste.

Along the way, in modern times, there are still people who advocate that as long as you set up a small house on the street, and then secretly record the conversations of roadside people through the wall every day, it is a top-level novel.

Tan Sou's poems can't be seen, but Tan Yuanchun wrote a poem describing how he received Tan Sou's new poems.

It's no wonder that the old man is aggressive and good, and he is still there. Yue Mo Du Qian asked the plum blossom, God's will is so self-love.
The seventy old people are poor, and friends who are good poets are helpless. Walk to send me the sand and dust, and return to the place where Yingsheng lost his chorus.
("Xi Tan Na An holds a new poem and sees Yu Jiang Biezhi into the capital")

After that, he wrote the mourning speech "Scarred Tan Naan Ye Lao".

When you are old, you don't need to get sick. When you are really old, you are easy to die. Xianyou is still grass, and good sentences are lost.
Floods and droughts are maddened by the power of the children, and they punish the widow township. Sending the emperor's farewell to the end of the season, underground or Emperor Xi.

I regret not coming before my death, and I will open the urn. Burning dry and annoying old women, wrapping rice to comfort children.
The sky has repeatedly accepted my partner, but there are many people. There are chariots and horses in the garden, who will stick with the autumn moss?

Probably so.

The poet is greater than the poem, that is Tan Sou.