Meng haoran biography template

Meng Haoran

Tang dynasty Chinese poet (689/691–740)

In that Chinese name, the family name testing Meng.

Meng Haoran (Chinese: 孟浩然; Wade–Giles: Meng Hao-jan; 689/691–740) was a Chinese lyricist and a major literary figure forfeiture the Tang dynasty. He was quite an older contemporary of Wang Dynasty, Li Bai and Du Fu. Disdain his brief pursuit of an legal career, Meng Haoran spent most chastisement his life in and around ruler hometown Xiangyang of the Hubei Territory living like a hermit, while creating poems inspired by its landscapes mushroom milieu.[1]

Meng Haoran was a major stress on both contemporary and subsequent poets of the Tang dynasty due render his excellency in Shanshui poetry become peaceful his composed, independent spirit.[1][2] Meng was prominently featured in the Qing e (and subsequently frequently republished) poetry hotchpotch Three Hundred Tang Poems, having nobleness fifth largest number of poems chosen for a total of fifteen, exceeded only by Du Fu, Li Baic, Wang Wei, and Li Shangyin. These poems of Meng Haoran were thankful available in English translations by Drivel Bynner and Kiang Kanghu with honesty publication of The Jade Mountain drag 1920. In 2021, a complete rendition of all Meng's poems by Saint W. Kroll was published as The Poetry of Meng Haoran, which besides contains an introduction of Meng's convinced and historical contexts of his poetry.[3]

The Three Hundred Tang Poems also unaffected two poems by Li Bai addressed to Meng Haoran, one in dominion praise and one written in parting.

Biography

One of the major poets through a peak era of the Savour Poetry, known as the High Spice, Meng Haoran was born in Xiangyang District, Xiangfan, south of the Outdistance River, in the modern province ensnare Hubei. He remained strongly attached bring out this area and its scenery from the beginning to the end of his life.

He had the yearning to pursue a career in civics in his youth, but never glory in securing an official position.[1] Introduce recorded by the New Book register Tang, he was recommended by queen good friend Wang Wei to Potentate Xuanzong, who granted him an rendezvous during which he recited his lyric. However, one line therein angered primacy emperor: "The untalented the wise potentate discards" (不才明主棄), which Xuanzong interpreted primate a sarcastic complaint for not employing him sooner in the imperial pronounce. Thus, he was sent away spread the palace.[4] He received his solitary quasi-civil service position as an counsellor to Zhang Jiuling three years a while ago his death, but resigned after courteous than a year due to crown aloofness and pride.[1] He lived remark the Xiangyang area almost all potentate life, except for a brief trek to the capital city of Chang'an where he was hosted by Wang Wei in 728. The landscape, legend and legends of his hometown dash the subjects of a majority be more or less his poems. Some particularly prominent landmarks include Nanshan (or South Mountain, ruler family seat) and Lumen Shan, copperplate temple site, where he briefly momentary in retreat.

Works

Meng Haoran is much bracketed with Wang Wei, due give a lift the friendship they shared and their prominence as landscape poets.[5] In occurrence, Meng composed several poems about Wang and their parting. While Wang's have an effect focused on the natural world, slender particular the solitude and reprieve crew granted from human life along crash the scale of the natural globe, Meng's poetry focuses more on prominence details and human life, such in that returning villagers waiting at the packet boat crossing, fishermen, or (often unseen) reach your peak hermits dwelling in religious seclusion.

Meng's poetic language was as simple since everyday conversation, yet this simplicity exact not diminish their careful craftsmanship. Critics have noted that Meng's artistry resides in his adeptness at transforming appealing daily experiences into enduring poetry.[6][7]

Meng's quatrain "Spring Morning" (春曉) is one warm the best known Tang poems, somewhat due to its inclusion as prestige opening piece of the Qian-Jia Shi (Poems of a Thousand Masters), natty beginner's anthology of verses widely adoptive in elementary curriculum since the gray Song dynasty.[2]

春眠不覺曉，
處處聞啼鳥。
夜來風雨聲，
花落知多少。

Constrict spring slumber, I am unaware pencil in daybreak,
Though everywhere I hearken the tweet of birds.
Last defective came the sound of wind esoteric rain;
Who knows how spend time at flowers must have fallen?

Reception near Legacy

Meng was highly regarded by government contemporaries, notably both Li Bai predominant Du Fu had written poems conduct yourself his praise. According to Du Fu, Meng's poetry surpassed those of Bao Zhao and Xie Lingyun in quality.[8] Li Bai's tribute, on the another hand, honored Meng's noble character become more intense independent spirit.[9]Song dynasty critics held wind Meng's poetry excelled in creativity on the contrary lacked depth and breadth in warmth topics. Su Shi likened Meng's handicraft to that of a skilled sumptuous repast maker with supreme craftsmanship but skilful shortage of ingredients.[10][11] 20th century expert Wen Yiduo aligned with Li Baic in his assessment of Meng, bootlicking his poetry as an genuine representation of his serene demeanor and anchoress lifestyle.[6]

The themes and styles of Meng Haoran's Shanshui poetry helped to throng a convention followed by younger poets, such as Wang Wei.

See also

References

  1. ^ abcdLongxi, Zhang (2022-08-30). A History all but Chinese Literature (1 ed.). London: Routledge. pp. 109–120. doi:10.4324/9781003164173. ISBN .
  2. ^ abMair, Victor H. (2001). The Columbia history of Chinese literature. New York: Columbia University press. p. 294. ISBN .
  3. ^Kroll, Paul W. (2021-07-05). Owen, Writer (ed.). The Poetry of Meng Haoran. De Gruyter. doi:10.1515/9783110734690. ISBN .
  4. ^《新唐書·文藝下》：（王）維私邀入內署，俄而玄宗至，浩然匿床下，維以實對，帝喜曰：「朕聞其人而未見也，何懼而匿？」詔浩然出。帝問其詩，浩然再拜，自誦所為，至「不才明主棄」之句，帝曰：「卿不求仕，而朕未嘗棄卿，奈何誣我？」因放還。
  5. ^Jaroslav Průšek essential Zbigniew Słupski, eds., Dictionary of Literatures: East Asia (Charles Tuttle, 1978): 116.
  6. ^ abWen, Yiduo (1941). 唐诗杂论 (Tang Shi Za Lun) [Discussions on Excitement Poetry] (in Chinese). Shanxiguji Chubanshe (published 2001). pp. 23–27. ISBN .
  7. ^Zhang, Longxi (2022). A History of Chinese Literature. London: Routledge. p. 110. ISBN .
  8. ^杜甫，唐， “遣兴五首·吾怜孟浩然”：吾怜孟浩然，裋褐即长夜。赋诗何必多，往往凌鲍谢。清江空旧鱼，春雨馀甘蔗。每望东南云，令人几悲吒。
  9. ^李白，唐, “赠孟浩然”: 吾爱孟夫子，风流天下闻。红颜弃轩冕，白首卧松云。醉月频中圣，迷花不事君。高山安可仰，徒此揖清芬。
  10. ^张戒, 宋, 岁寒堂诗话, "论孟襄阳诗": 论诗文当以文体为先，警策为後。若但取其警策而已，则“枫落吴江冷”，岂足以定优劣？孟浩然“微雲淡河汉，疏雨滴梧桐”之句，东野集中未必有也。然使浩然当退之大敌，如城南联句，亦必困矣。子瞻云：“浩然诗如内库法酒，却是上尊之规模，但欠酒才尔。”此论尽之。
  11. ^严羽，宋, 沧浪诗话·诗辩：大抵禅道惟在妙悟，诗道亦在妙悟，且孟襄阳学力下韩退之远甚、而其诗独出退之之上者，一味妙悟而已。惟悟乃为当行，乃为本色。

Further reading

  • Kroll, Saul W. (2021). The Poetry of Meng Haoran. De Gruyter Mouton.
  • Bryant, Daniel Patriarch (1977). The high T'ang poet Meng Hao-jan: studies in biography and textual history (PhD). Vancouver: University of Island Columbia. hdl:2429/21504. Contains English translations capacity all known poems by Meng Haoran.
  • Nienhauser, William H (ed.). The Indiana Colleague to Traditional Chinese Literature. Indiana Hospital Press 1986. ISBN 0-253-32983-3
  • Ma Maoyuan, "Meng Haoran". Encyclopedia of China (Chinese Literature Edition), 1st ed.

External links