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发信人: yeku (野哭), 信区: Poetry
标 题: Poetry Can Vent Resentment
发信站: 荔园晨风BBS站 (Wed Jan 26 16:43:40 2005) , 站内信件
转贴自：《也是集》，香港广角镜出版版社1984。
Poetry Can Vent Resentment（“诗可以怨”）
作者：钱钟书
Neitzsehe compared the clucks of a hen laying an egg to the singing of a poet, s
aying "Der Schmerz macht Huhner und Dichter gackern..”1 This homely but moving
metaphor corresponds exactly to a prevailing idea in traditional Chinese art and
literature: suffering is a greater factor in the production of poetry than happ
iness; a good poem is often not a happy one, it is a venting of a despondent or
melancholy mood. This opinion was not simply relevant to poetic theory in ancien
t China, but was the pattern of all written works. Therefore, up to today, becau
se of being overly familiar with the idea, we have failed to discern and utilize
it in Chinese criticism. The following are the most common examples capable of
illustrating this phenomenon.
"Yanghuo", Lunyu (论语 •阳货 ) states: "A poem can be used to inspire, to
comment on life, to share feelings with others, and to give vent to one's resen
tment." The word "yuan" (怨“resentment” ) is the final of the four uses, and t
hus the most important. "Daxu", Shi (诗•大序) says that "in a well governe
d world music is peaceful and happy ...... in times of turmoil, music is angry
...... the music of a vanquished state is grievous and nostMgic." without empha
sizing or inclining towards any of the three types of expression. When "Yi Wen Z
hi," Han Shu (汉书•艺文志 ) says that "poetry expresses aspiration ("shi y
an zhi"诗言志 ) it is not overstating the case. Moreover, "Feelings of sorrowor
happiness first arise in the heart, then are expressed in song." Si Maqian (司
马迁) may be regarded as the earliest person who did not give even consideration
to these two aspects of the poetic process. Works which he edited such as Bao R
en Shao Oing Shu (报任少卿书)and "Zi Xu," Shi Ji (史记•自序 ) have always
been regarded as great historical collections, but many of the essays were ofte
n writtert by those suffering from poverty, disease, or even persecution and t
orture. Taking Zhou Yi (周易 ) as a beginning and The Book of Songs (Shi Jing,
诗经) as an end, Si Maqian summed up, saying, “These works were mostly done by
resentful scholars," adding, "these persons all wrote out of their sorrow." Thi
s means that "happiness" (乐) was left aside in favor of "resentment" (怨) and
"grief" (哀) in The Book of Songs. Those poets in The Book of Songs were "sorrow
ful," or those who had failed to achieve success. Their poems are "mostly" sighs
or groans of their "resentment". Quoting The Book of Songs "all these works wer
e done by resentful scholars," Chen Zilong (陈子龙)illustrated their resentment
in this way: "So far as The Book of Songs is concerned, it, though singing prais
es, criticizes reality as well—because in times of decline people are nostalgic
for the powerful sovereigns of the past." (See: "On Poetry," A Collection of Wo
rks by Chen Zhongyu, Vol. 21 陈忠裕全集卷二一诗论)Praising the past indicates re
sentment towards the present. Therefore some poems in The Book of Songs that sup
erficially are songs of praise, in fact come from the marrow of complaint and r
esentment in the poet's feelings.
In passing, I would like to mention Zheng Qing (郑覃), who supported the elucid
ation of "meanings of a work" (jingyi, 经义) and opposed emphasis on the study
of "flowery rhetoric" (wenhua, 文华). He attempted to advise Tang Wenzong (唐
文宗) not to lay emphasis on "trifling phrases," saying, "(poems) of elegance (
ya雅) and praise (song 歌 ) in The Book of Songs were all written by lower o
fficials to criticize higher ones, rather than being poems written by higher-ups
to instruct underlings." （See: "Zheng Qing Zhuan," 旧唐书•郑覃传） Alth
ough his slanderous talk is deliberate, these views have become "songs of praise
...... that criticize," as well.
Gong Yang Zhuan (公羊传) records that in the 15th year of Emperor Xuan Gong (
宣公) a "sprout tax" (i.e. a tax collected when the grain sprouted, ed.) was im
posed, saying in the chapter "Chu Shui Mu" (出税亩) that "because a ten percent
tax was instituted, poems were written ia praise of it." He Xiu's Jic Gu (解诂)
gives much foodr thought. "As the Emperor's reign is reaching its summit, songs
arewritten to eulogize peace ...... So far as the 'creators of songs' are conc
erned, people cannot live without food ...... Men and women express their resent
ment in songs one after another: the hungry talk about their food, and laborers
speak about their jobs." Zhuan only mentions the "sounds of praise" (song sheng
颂声 ) , but Jie Gu adds "songs of hatred and resentment" (怨恨而歌) , almost o
ver doing it. Nevertheless, it goes on to say "all songs originate from hatred a
nd resentment." But at this point, let us leave "the poets of praise in times of
peace" aside.
Chen Zilong regarded "praise" as actually meaning "indirect criticism."He Xiu (
何休) is seemingly in accord with Zuo Zhuan's (左传) comments on "pure talk." B
ased on his experience, he adds his real opinion on "pure talk": "The summit of
the emperor's reign," praised by poets in times of peace in the histories, is on
ly an ideal or a fantasy; instead, "the poems of hatred and resentment" by "the
hungry" and "the laborers" are the actual facts of daily life. The words of Chen
and He supplement each other in this respect, and Chinese idioms seem also to r
eflect this point. The ancient Bureau of Music (Yue Fu 乐府 )Bei Ge Xing (悲歌
行 Sorrowful Songs ) says, "Songs of sorrow can serve as an expression of sadne
ss; while gazing afar one can feel as if arriving home." Since then the saying "
Changge dang ku"(长歌当哭) ,a sort of song totally releasing one's sad emotions
, ed.) has been a common phrase, but likewise "Changge dang xiao" (长歌当笑，son
gs releasing happy emotions, ed.) has never appeared in the history books, even
though some persons have fraudulently imitated Li Bai (李白) by writing "Song of
Laughter" (笑歌行). (In fact, the original by Li Bai is "Song of Resentment"
怨歌行，ed.). And finally, the word "heartily" (ying 吟 ) of "laughting heartil
y" (笑吟吟)is not equivalent to the single word "chant" (ying 吟 ) in "in ardu
ous composition, a poet chants the 'new verses' to himself."
Liu Xie (刘勰) once touched on the view of Si Maqian's, skillfully employing a s
imile. Discussing Feng Yan (冯衍) in "Cai Lue," Wen Xin Diao Long文心雕龙）,Liu
says, "He, though suffering from frustration all his life, has a good command of
verses." "Xian Zhi" (显志) and "Zi Xu" (自序 ) are like the diseased oysters
that produce real pearls." That is to say, these two essays were the result of "
sorrow" (Vujie郁结 ) and "resentment." Unlike Si Maqiarr's strong censure, Lin
Xie merely mentions these terms in passing, and mentions only one person at tha
t, without generalizing. "Disease" commonly implies pain and vexation, not only
confined to what Si Maqian said concenning physical suffering, such as "Zuo Qiu
(左丘) losing his eyesight, but also implies the mental sufferings of 'frustrat
ion' (坎凛)." In "Jiu Bian," Chu Ci (楚辞•九辩) , we find, "the poor sch
olar lost his position and was frustated by a sense of of injustice." In the Nor
thern Dynasties was a named Liu (刘) who felt that hardships and difficulties co
uld: stimulate talent. He employed four succesive similes, one of which happene
d to be the same as that used by another man named Liu in the Southern Dynasties
. In Liu Shu's "Liu Zi," Ji Tong (刘子•激通 ) , is: "densely growing pian
and nanmu trees appear like tufts of brocade on a silk mattress, diseased oyste
rs bear brilliant, crystal pearls, the striving bird wings its way into the blue
clouds, a released arrow can reach the summit of the snowy mountains. Therefore
, things misshapen or troubled for years turn into rare curios, and things shot
with force reach far and high." [See: "Hanzi," Tai Ping Yu Lan, vol. 350, (太平
御览，韩子): "Only when water surges is it strong; only when the arrow is shot
can it fly far away." In the beginning of "Feng Yah Zhuan," Hou Hun Shu (后汉书
•冯衍传) , Zhang Huai wrote a letter quoting Feng yan (冯衍) and Yin Ji
u (阴就) , saying, "It is commonly said 'without surging, water cannot break a b
oat; an unreleased arrow cannot bury its fletchings.’ ] Su Shi (苏轼) in "A Let
ter to Answer Li Ruishu”（答李瑞书）, said, "Wood has knots, stone has streaks,
rhino horns have hollows—all these deformities arouse curiosity." These exampl
es refer to no more than "things misshapen or troubled for years" that have beco
me curios, although they are not comparable in excellence to the "pearl in the
oyster" above. "Wood had knots," however, simply means "the densely grown pi
an and nanrnu trees.''2
Westerners speaking of literary creation have skillfully employed certain simile
s. For instance, Franz Grillparzer has compared a poem likewise: "die Perle, das
Erzeugnis des kranken stillen Muscheltieres." Flaubert thought "la perle est
uae maladie de 1 'huitre," and the writers' le style is "l'ecoulement d'une doul
eur plus profonde.''3 Heine asked,"wie die Perle, die Krankheitsstoff, woran das
arme Austerier leidet''4 A.E. Housman considered a poem as a "secretion," regar
dless of whether it is a "natural" secretion like "the turpentine in the fir," o
r a "morbid" secretion "like the pearl in the oyster.''5 It seems such similes a
re very acceptable, for people have intentionally or unintentionally adopted the
m because of their exact correspondence with the notion that "poetry can vent re
sentment," and is "written to release resentment." Nevertheless, the above sent
ences in Wen Xin Diao Long (文心雕龙) do not seem to have received the apprecia
tion they deserve.
Si Maqian cited a number of works concerning "giving vent" to one's resentment.
Some of the works were to instruct in reason, some were records. He lastly inclu
ded The Book of Songs in the realm of "resentment" works, quoting it as a prime
example. So far as poetry and song are concerned, Zhong Rong (钟嵘) gave a f
ull presentation of this idea. We have long failed to note such phrases in Si
Maqian's "Foreword," Shi Ping (序•诗品) "In distinguished gatherings, a
poem is written to express intimacy. When alone, a poem is written to vent one'
s resentment. An official in the Chu Dynasty (the poet Qu Yuan, ed.) was driven
out of the country; and a concubine of the Han Dynasty (Wang Zhaojun 王昭君 ed
. ) was forced to leave the palace; in the northern wilds lie the bones of me
n, their souls wavering with the fleabane; soldiers carrying pikes in response
to a border alert; dressed in thin garments on the frontiers, widows cry till th
eir tears run dry; officials resigning, then departing the palace never to ret
urn; a twitch of a beauty's eyebrow captivating an emperor, a glance enthralling
a nation--these emotions are so effecting and touching, could the ancient poems
give full expression to all of them? And can changge (长歌) give a full present
ation of these feelings? Therefore, 'Poetry can be used to share sentiments with
the people, and can also give full vent to resentment.' Nothing is better than
poetry for bringing peace of mind to the poor folk and freeing hermits from depr
ession." Strangely, the above words are almost an outline of two masterpieces
—Biefu (别赋) and Hen Fu (恨赋) by Jiang Yan (江淹) who was a contemporary o
f Zhong Rong. Zhong Rong did not deal with xing (兴, "expressing sentiment") o
r guan (观, "observing actuality") , instead he discussed qun (群, "sharing fee
lings with others"), but in most instances he only cited yuan ( 厌,, "resentmen
t" ); only "distinguished gatherings" (jiahui 嘉会 ) and "favored (by the emp
eror)" indisputedly belong to the sphere of happiness. Probably the word "indis
putedly" is an overstatement. In another respect, resentment and vexation might
lie behind the "twitching of an eyebrow" whereby a woman attempted to become the
emperor's favorite. For instance in "Li Si Fu," Quan Jin Wen, vol. 180, Zuo Jiu
bin (左九傧) resented that she was "never able to see her family again" since "e
ntering the palace." She, therefore, "sobbed for it bitterly." Didn't Jia Fei (
贾妃) also sigh with feeling .... though wealthy now, it neither interests no
r charms me for [ am seperated from my kindred?" in Dream of the Red Chamber (H
ong Lou Meng 红楼梦 ) vol. 18. At the same time, according to the subject matt
er of Wang Zhaojun, "A concubine of the Han Dynasty was forced to leave the pala
ce" though by no means referring to "resentment," can at least be classed as "to
share feelings with others." In the final analysis, it turns out to be a "dist
inguished gathering," when she departed happily for Hu (胡, an ancient nation i
n China) to "twitch a beauty's eyebrow in order to captivate the emperor." Howev
er, just as we do not submit life's daily intercourses toexacting inspection, se
emingly we do not have to view the above wordsof the Shi Ping as profound. At th
e end of the foreword, a number of example works were cited; excepting the "lost
chapters" and general references (to the themes), most of the examples can be
regarded as poems of "resentment." In the comments on Li Ling (李陵) in ShangP
ing (上品) it is said: "unfortunate fate results in disgrace and death. If Li
Ling had not experienced those misfortunes his works would not be as they are!"
Furthermore, it is clearly pointed out that Liu Xie, saying that "diseased oyste
rs produce pearls" is what is later called "Only through poverty and frustrati
on, can the poet produce the best poems." Still thers is one point that should n
ot be over-looked. Referring to the same theme, Si Maqian took poetry as embalmi
ng material, while Zhong Rong regarded it as an anaesthethetic or sedative for
the living. In "A Letter in Answer to Ren Shaoqing" (报任少卿书), Si Maqian as
serts that "poems were merely written to express depression and discontent;" th
eir purpose was to allow the poet to escape from the "obliteration of fame" and
the realization that his "talents will be unknown to coming generations," causi
ng the poet to strive for immortality through writing. Zhong Rong said, "It is n
one other than poetry that gives peace to the poor and lonely, enabling them to
live in seclusion, free from depression." These reflections emphasize the role o
f writing while the poet is alive, helping him to reconcile himself to a hard an
d desolate existence, in other words, a man when frustrated and depressed, turns
to "poetry that can express resentment" to divert himself from loneliness and t
o seek the comfort of compensation.
As the types of literature multiply in following centuries, the explanations of
intention and effects of the creations found their ways into fiction and drama.
For instance, in vol. 1 of Wu Yue Wang Zai Shi Suo Jiang Shan (吴越王再世索江山
, Emperors Wu and Yue Once Again Came to Power) in the collection of Xi Hu Er J
i (西湖二集) Zhou Ji (周楫) discusses the writing of Jian Deng Xin Hua (剪灯心
话) by Qu You (瞿佑) and Si Sheng Yuan (四声猿) by Xu Wei ( 徐渭 ) , saying, "Yo
u really don't know whether to laugh or cry, shout or jump. Actually, it is neit
her pitiful nor joyous. Therefore, they join in the fun on occasion, and leisure
ly scribble out some stories ...... to release their resentment as they whil
e away the time." In vol. 2 of Bing Bai (宾白 ) in his work Li Weng Ou Ji (笠翁
偶寄) Li Yu (李渔), commenting on his own experience of writing, put it more suc
cinctly, saying, "I was born in misery and have lived in frustration, I have nev
er felt pride or elation since I was a child. The only occasion when I have peac
e of mind and am also free from anger is when I make up songs and compose verses
. Therefore, I always inwardly strive to be a happy go-between ...... no world
exists in which I can do as I like. I would wish, however, to exceed my wildest
fantasies. Once I become an official [ will have tremendous wealth and receive
great honors ...... and when wishing to be a gifted scholar, I would be a comp
anion in posterityof Du Fu (杜甫) and Li Bai (李白), and if I intended to marry
the most beautiful woman in the world, I would marry a woman like Wang Qiang (
王嫱) or Xi Shi (西施)." Just as Chen Zhilong conceded that "poems of praise are
critical" in The Book of Songs and Li Yu confirmed that the joyful, extreme w
orld is nothing but a reflection of the narrow reality in which he lived, so th
e playwrite also mirrored the negative side of life.
The outstanding theories of Freud are well known: persons who cannot satisfy the
ir desires in real life compensate in the creation of literary and artistic work
s which serve as "Ersatz fur den Triebverzicht"by means of "phantasiebefriedgung
en'' 7If there is some slight similarity between the ideas of Freud and the word
s of Zhong Rong above, the likeness is much more apparent in the statements by
Zhou Ji and Li Yu.These comparisons are not forced—I hope to draw attention to
the likenesses that exist between them.
On certain points, Zhong Rong might agree with Freud, but HanYu (韩愈) and Si M
aqian would have no common language. Song Meng Dong Ye Xu ( 送孟东郊序 ) is a
collection of ancient works for pupils to recite and study. At the beginning of
the work, Han Yu declares: "When people are not treated equally, they complain
of injustice ...... The most refined human sounds are words. Writing is the r
efinement of spoken language. By citing great writers like Zhuang Zhou (庄周) ,
Qu Yuan, Si Maqian, and Xiang Ru (相如 ) as those eloquent in "complaint" (善
鸣) , Han Yu solemnly introduced their main character: "Meng Jiao Dong Ye (孟郊
东野 a style of written discourse, ed.) originates from the poems of complaint."
It is generally agreed that to "complain" due to injustice and to write out of
"resentment" have similar implications. In fact, there is no common denominator
in the sayings of Han Yu and Si Maqian.
Si Maqian's fen (愤) stands for "resentment and injustice" which might be the sa
me as "complaint." Hah Yu's buping (不平 "injustice") does not equal "complaint
and injustice" (牢骚不平) for it does not only indicate indignance and sorrow
, but also means joy and happiness. Ever since the Qin Dynasty (秦朝) , psychol
ogy has constantly held that the essence of human nature is "tranquility" (xing
性). Qing (情 "sentiment") is the result of the disturbance of tranquility. Hum
an nature, when subjeect to injustice, produces "sentiment." Here are two lines
from Yue Ji ( 乐记 ): "The essence of human nature is tranquility, / it is distu
rbed only when intruded upon by the outside world." These lines are typical. Bot
h Taoist and Buddhist scriptures contain metaphors derived from "water when blow
n by wind turns into surging waves.” This metaphor was early adopted by the Co
nfucians. According to the verses "Heaven's will stands for Nature" in "Li Ji"
"Zhong Yong," ( 中庸 ) , Kong Yinde (孔颖达 ) refers to "Liang Wujing Buoshi Ta
ng”( 梁五经博士堂 ) in the book Zheng Yi ( 正义) , commenting "Human nature
and sentiment/are like waves and water,/water is tranquil,/waves are in constan
t motion,/tranquility is human nature,/wild motion is human sentiment." In the f
irst part of his Fu Xing Shu (复性书), Li Ao (李翱), a student of Han Yu
(韩愈), put it this way: "Sentiment indicates natural motion. The crystal water
flowing through mud and sand becomes silted. When human nature is disturbed by
sentiment, a benevolent man turns evil." Even Cheng Yi (程颐), a scholar of th
e Song Dynasty (宋朝) who was very much afraid of being involved with Buddhis
m, didn't seem to care about being suspected of doing so:"Tranquility and reflec
tion is the nature of water. Whereverit is rocky or rough, there will be rapids.
Sometimes, when the wind blows, the roaring waves will appear, yet such is not
the nature of water!" (See: "Henan Er Cheng Yi Shu," Yi Chuan Yu, vol. 18. 河
南二程遗书，伊川语). In vernacular fiction, "the tide of the blood rises" is the
popular version of this metaphor. Describing Tai Yi Zhen Ren's (太乙真人) t
ranquil sitting (meditation, ed.) in chapter 84 of Feng Shen Bang (封神榜) t
he author explains: "All supernatural beings are free from three things—boredom
, anger, and love. Their hearts are hard as stone and never shake, 'the tide of
the blood rises' (laichao 来潮),and 'movement is wave.'"
According to ancient psychology, sentiment of any sort is the consequence of hum
an nature's temporary deprivation of tranquility, much as indignance stands for
disturbance of "human nature. "Happiness can be compared to "roaring waves" and
"rising tides." Probably, we must bring Han Yu's saying into the realm of lan
guage to understand its significance. In another of his articles, he states that
, "Happiness, anger, embarassment, poverty, wariness, sadness, joy, resentment,
hatred, meditation, admiration, inebriation, and idleness are all produced by t
he mind, and certainly find their expression in written language." "Motion" ( y
oudong ;{有动) and "injustice" ( buping 不平) are positive and negative ex
planations of the same matter, summarizing sentiments of "happiness and anger,"
and "sadness and joy." Let us examine the ending of Song Meng Dong Ye Xu. "Isn
't it clear that the Heaven will correspond to the voices of the people and sing
of the power of the state? Or that Heaven will reduce people to poverty, famine
and depression, so they cannot help but resent their misfortune?" These lines e
vidently "praise the prosperity of the state when one is a success, while 'compl
aining of misfortune' when one is frustrated, demonstrating the significance of
'he who has been the victim of injustice, complains.'" Unlike Si Maqian, who emp
hasized only "venting resentment", Han Yu fairly treats both aspects, similar
to comments in "Yi Wen," Han Shu (汉书•艺文志 ) on "singing" in terms of
"sadness and joy." Some critics have censured these words, possibly out of
a narrow understanding of "injustice," confusing it with "venting resentment."
In one of Huang Tingjian (黄庭坚) poems are two lines: "If one desires to conf
orm to the age, wine is the best companion./lf one shares misery and joy with ot
hers, poetry is a resort to release one's sentiments." The last line "originated
" from Song Meng Dong Ye Xu. Of course, Huang Tingjianght have employed "in time
s of failure one might write poems to complain of hunger and poverty," or "when
one is out of step with the age, one can write to release one's frustrations,"
ect. nstead Huang replaced "injustice" with "sadness and joy"( roule 忧乐 ). W
hat a truly fine reader he was.
Actually, in his "Jing Tan Chang He Shi Xu" ( 荆潭唱和诗选) , HanYu more clearly
defines the concept of "poetry as a means to release one's resentment" than h
is predecessors. This essay was written to flatter two poets, praising their
bureautic natures and going so far as to compare their poems with those of "poor
scholars." Nobles are matchable with those "wan scholars in plain clothes," im
plying that poems by these "wan scholars" are the standard for measuring (poetic
worth), the major premise being "the voice of peace is thin, and the sounds of
depression and weariness even weaker." Happiness and joy are not easy to expres
s perfectly in words, but poverty and hardship are expressed easily." As early a
s the Six Dynasties (六朝) someone expressed the sensation "the voice of peace
is faint." It is said in Wang Wei's (王微)"Yu Cong Seng Chuo Shu," in Quan
Song Wen, vol. 19, (全宋文卷一九，王微语从弟僧绰 ) that "essays and verses
without sentiment that are supposed to modulate in tone, will instead be hollo
w and flat."Later on, someone summed it up in one of seven "formulas": "There is
no need to say more about the knack of writing, for heartbreak and sorrow are s
elf-explanatory." (See: Fang Wen, "Meng Yu Shi Yu Shah Lun Shi Xing Er You Zuo,"
Tu Shan Xu Ji vol. 5方文涂山续集卷五梦与施愚山论诗醒而有作. Why does "difficu
lt to express" (nangong 难工)differ from "easy to express"(yihao易好)? A martyr
in the late Ming Dynasty (明朝)and a literary advisor in the early Qing both at
tempted to conclude similar psychological answers. Zhang Huangyan said, "Oh, 'i
t is difficult to write well about happiness and joy—it is so much easier to w
rite about sadness and hardship!' Poetry expresses desire. The sentiments of h
appiness and joy are always shallow and loose, thus human ideation cannot contin
ue to develop further. The sentiments of sorrow and bitterness are deep and st
rong; poetry can convey these sentiments, allowing human feeling to coordinate w
ith Heaven. Hence, 'a poem, through arduous work, could attain excellence.' Thi
s is what reality produces." (See: "Cao Yun Lin Shi Xu," vol. l, Zhang Cang Shui
Ji, Guo Gui Cong Shu" 国粹丛书本张苍水集卷一曹云霖诗序) Chen Zhaolun (陈兆仑)
put it more concisely," 'Happiness and amusement are not easy to perfectly expr
ess in words; sorrow and bitterness are easy to express.' Although these words
seem familiar, it is not simple to fulsty underland their origin and significan
ce. Happiness can make a telling exposure without reserve, while 'worry' (you ,
忧) is often seclusive and profound. These sentiments are at odds in depth and
profundity." (See: "Foreword to Xiao Han Ba Yong," vol. 4, Zi .Zhuhan Fang 紫
竹山房集 卷四消寒八泳•序). Though the reasons for the existence of nangon
g and yihao in poetry have not been perfectly explained here, the flavor of both
"happiness and joy" and "worry and sadness" have been fully revealed. Chen Jiru
(陈继儒 ) once distinguished Qu Yuan from Zhuang Zhou (庄周), saying: "Sullen
persons tend not to show their feelings, so Li Sao (离骚) is melancholy and glo
omy; happy persons tend to display their feelings, so Nanhua (南华) is ebullien
t and lively." ("Guo Zhu Zhuang Zi Xu" vol. 9, Wan Xiang Tang Xiao Ping晚香
堂小品卷九郭注庄子叙).
An Italian poet recorded identical feelings: "questa tendenza al dilatamento ne
ll'allegrezza, e al ristringimento nella tristezza..”10 Weoften say "wild with
joy;" "rejoice" (kaixin 开心 )；"so happy one' sbones are light" ( 快活得骨头
都轻了 ) ；or "the heart is knotted" (心里打个结)；"a stone in the heart" (心上
有了块石头)； "a gasp of breathin the stomach" (一口气憋在肚子里.), ect. All th
ese idioms reveal that the character of happiness is shallowness, lightness, and
effervescence, while that of worry is restraint and stagnation.11 Expressions
of happiness and joy are made unreservedly. It is impossible to restrain such fe
elings. Worry and sorrow are "seclusive and profound," and impossible to avoid.
According to Goethe's metaphors, joy is "die Kugel" and bitterness is "das Viel
eck.''12 Die Kugel can appear and roll past in an instant, while das Vieleck wil
l wobble erratically to a stop. Both Zhang Huangyan (张煌言) and Chen Zaolun not
ed these distinctions.
Han Yu regarded the poems of poor scholars as models; the purpose of his esteem
for the nobility being intended to raise the status of those "wan" scholars. Hi
s compliments are not always flattering, though his smooth manner is not snobber
y. It is seldom that essays dealing with the bureaucracy have such a sense of pr
opriety. Si Maqian and Zhong Rong only mentioned that poverty and sorrow allow
poets to write; Wang Wei merely stated that "writings without 'resentment' wil
l not be regarded as excellent." Moreover, Hah Yu had additional negative words:
Although happiness and joy inspire poets to write, verses thus produced will he
ver be regarded as good or exoellent. With these additional touches, the idea
is perfectly stated. There is some real truth in Han Yu's major premise. We mig
ht say that though poems "in words of poverty and bitterness" are no better t
han "words of happiness and joy" in terms of quality, in quantity poems of "pove
rty and bitterness" number many more than those of "happiness and joy." Because
the number of good poems in "words of poverty and bitterness" is great, it is a
sserted that only "words of bitterness and poverty" can produce wonderful poem
s. There are some errors in such inferences, and Han Yu made some errors in logi
c. Nevertheless, his mistakes need not be regarded as very serious—he was to fi
nd noted accomplices among some Western poets in the 19th century.
While students we used to recite such famous quotations as: "Our sweetest songs
are those that tell of saddest thoughts," "und es lommt das echte Lied/Einziga
us dcm Menschenherzen,/Das ein tiefes eid durchgluht," "Les plus desesperes so
nt les chats /es plus beaux,/Et j'en sais d'immortels qui sont de purs snaglot
s."13Some poets wrote comments on poetry in essay form, illustrating that all "t
rue Beauty" will inevitably have "this certain taint of sadness." And "Melancho
ly is thus the most legitimate of all the poetical tones.14 A contemporary poe
t conceded that "grievances" are compatible with the prose form, but "griefs" ar
e suitable for poetry— "poetry is an extravagance about grief."15 Nietzsche and
Freud were mentioned above. Benedetto Croce, who thought highlyof Nietzsche, an
d disapproved of Freud, was forced to admit, "La poesia,como e stato ben detto,
nasce del 'desiderio in soddisfatto."16 The Swiss scholar Walter Musehg, who adm
ired Freud's writings, went so far as to write Tragische Literaturaturgeschich
te to certify that "fast immer, wenn auch oft verhullt, eine Form des Leidens.
”17It is a pity he was unable to hear the comments by the ancient Chinese.
No one willingly experiences bitterness and grief—if avoidable. Yet no one woul
d be unwilling to create a beautiful poem—even if one lacked talents; Moreover,
no one would be unwilling to resort to deception to serve one's self—especial
ly if one would not harm others. Since poverty and bitterness are easily express
ed, writing a good poem demands that the poet need use "the words of poverty and
bitterness Unfortunately, when "wan" poets usually speak of "poverty and bitte
rness," it should be noted that though the "secret of their success” is easily
discerned, the "sentiments of sadness and heartbreak" are painful and the chanc
es to experience them are few. Feng Shu (冯舒), who "once recited poems written
by Meng Xiangyang (孟襄阳), in which 'persons of no talent are abandoned by a w
ise sovreign; persons suffering illness for long time are estranged from their c
olleagues;' said: 'a poem of frustration turns out to be a marvelous poem, and m
ay be the only fine lines of a lifetime.'" (See: Gu Shi, Han Ting Shi Hua寒厅诗
话)' In Bai Juyi's Du Li Du Shi Ji Yin Ti Juan Hou 读李杜诗集因题卷后 ), is writ
ten, "one fails to achieve an official position,/and frequently runs into turmoi
l and hardship;/frustrated persons who lead/vagrant lives in old age feel regre
t,/and talented persons who wile away their time feel sad ...... one ought to
understand the will of Heaven,/that there should be good poems in this world." T
o write a good poem, one needs to experience such misery as being a war refugee,
humiliated and degraded.It is worth being" frustrated” one's whole life for a
single "elegant poem." Every poet is not, however, willing to pay such a price.1
8 In that case, there has long existed a situation in which a poet attempts to w
ritegood poems at any or less cost. It is said that younz men wrico "show their
wisdom," and tile rich write to complain of "poverty."Those leading lives of lei
sure and comfort write poems to express their "sadness and unhappiness." For ins
tance, in Xiang ShahnYe Lu (湘山野录) Shi Wenying (释文瑩 ) comments on Kou
Zhun's (寇准)poetry: "When rich, he writes poems sounding miserable and sad ..
.... I once mentioned that those scholars of talent writing such poems always a
dmire and strive to learn the traditional techniques of expressing sadness and r
esentment in order to form their own style." In essence, this is far from being
strange; as language and words are characteristic of such functions in which we
always substitute actions with words and fabricate facts, disguising our meanin
gs and sentiments. What merits attention is that the function of such "fabulatio
n" is always partial to one aspect of the poetic process. It reports only the go
od news, andnever the bad. The overwhelming majority of poets find their express
ion in the voice of "sallowness and meditation" instead of in the "music of pea
ce." What is produced seem to be crocodile tears instead of the "gentle smiling
" crocodile in Alice Through the Looking Glass. It reminds one of the descriptio
n of beauty in Liu Yuxi's (刘禹锡) San Ge Ci （三阁词): "There should be noth
ing to regret—coquetry, if carried too far will evolve into depression;" the an
cient poets who actually had "nothing to regret" nurtured "depression" in order
to display their talents." This is just like the ancient beauties, who having "
nothing to regret" acted "depressed" in order to show their "coquettishness.”19
Upon reading Si Maqian's words "Write to express one's resentment," Li Zhi, si
ghed with emotion, "Henceforth, ancient scholars would not write unless they fe
lt like expressing resentment. Writing without resentment is like shivering all
over though not cold, groaning though not ill. What is the use of doing so!" (Se
e: "Foreword to Zhong Yi Shui Hu Zhuan," vol. 3, Fen Shu 焚书卷三<忠义水浒传>
序). To recall "ancient times" is absolutely impossible, and being "virtuous an
d saintly," is not what common poets strive for or can become. "Groaning though
not ill," an idiom, has become a reality that can never be ignored in literatur
e. Liu Si once pointed out that "when there is no real depression ...... one fa
bricates sentiments for the purpose of writing." ("Qing Cai," Wen Xin Diao Long
文心雕龙•情采). Or just as Fan Chengda taunted, "Poets always tend to c
reate disturbances and arouse unnecessary sensations. They shut themselves at
home and plunge themselves into depression." Just as the French classical mast
ers described certain writers of"elegie,” "qui s'affligent par art.''20 Didn't
the two Liu's in the Northern and Southern Dynasties speak of "diseased oysters
" producing pearls? Poets "groan though not ill," school children suffer from
the "disease of truancy," and people suffering from "political illnesses" are al
l regarded as pretexts for "false illness." These "illness" are all the results
of one desire: can "real pearls" be gotten so cheaply from "false illnesses"? It
all depends on one's skill at making one's self seem ill for the purpose of con
fusing the false "pearls" with real. Poetry was once put on par with metaphysics
and politics "die drei Tauschungen" to fool people.22 No doubt there are reason
s for this, but then the poets are also fooling themselves.
I wish to cite only three examples. The first is a noted poet who criticized an
other noted poet. Zhang Lei (张耒)sneering at Qing Guan (秦观), stated: "Most w
orks come from the poor, so scholars like writing for the poor. Qing Guang, thou
gh feeling no depression at all, writes poems of depression. Is not that the rea
son why he writes poems?" (See: Foreword to Song Qin Guan Cong Su-Hangzhou Wei
Xue, vol. 51, A Collection of Zhang Youshi's Work，《张右史文集卷五一送秦观从苏
杭州为学序》) The second example is an apology by a noted poet. In his Chou Nu
Er (丑奴儿) Xin Quzhi admits "as a boy, I was innocent of depression,/liki
ng to write poems/on the pavilion walls/on the pretense of depression./With age
I have experienced real depression,/despite it I restrain myself from speaking
out./Instead, I only sign, 'What a cool and wonderful autumn.'" The first line r
efers to "groaning though not ill," or "writing when not really depressed." The
second line presents another side of human life and writing. Reticence (jianm
o缄默 ) whether spoken or not, often implies very serious "illness" and deepes
t "depression." The third example concerns an unknown writer. A man named Li Tin
gyan ( 李廷彦) wrote a poem in rhyme in the hundred lines (bai yun pai lu百韵排
律) style, in which he presented to his superior for further instruction. Read
ing the lines: "My younger brother died in the southeast of the Yangt'ze,/my eld
er brother was killed in the northern borderlands!" his superior was so moved he
offered his solemn sympathy, saying, "I had no idea such terrible misfortunes h
ad befallen your family!" Li Tingyan hastily replied, "Actually, there's no suc
h thing! I only wished to make the lines parallel." Later on, this became an
anecdote. Moreover, someone added two more lines; "Don't fear these double d
eaths, they are there only for the sake of rhyme!" (Fan Zhenming's Dun Zhai
Xian Lan, in Tao Zongyi's ,Shou Fu vol. 32and Kong Qi's Zhi Zhen Zhi Ji vol. 4
陶宗仪说郛卷三二范正敏遯斋闲览孔齐至正直记卷四). Evidently this Li Tingyan base
d his poems on the principle "poverty and bitterness are easily expressed" and k
new poetry should be written in concrete images, the sentiments revealed in the
"objective correlative." If his superior had not sympathized with his underling
or had not made his inquiry on the spot, readers like us whom have been influenc
ed by positivism would have never imagined that Li Tingyan would have written ab
out depression without being depressed.The fact is that certain ordinary persons
exhausted with the general mood or character of such works, have seen through t
hem. One "courtesan" of the :kingdom of Shu in the Southern Song Dynasty wrote a
verse to her lover entitled "Que Qiao Xian"(鹊桥仙)："You gave your oath of lov
e,/expressing your love for me;/you always expressed your spring sadness easily
, covering wholly the pages./You ought to consider Tuo Kong Jing (脱空经)—
who taught you of it?” /(See: Zhou Mi's Qi Dong Ye Yu vol. 11.) Tuo kong means
"falsely mad" and "lying."23 There are two lines in a love poem by Heine which
happen to be a a reference: "[)iese Welt glaubt nicht an Flammen,/und sie nimmt'
s fur Poesie. 24 Such things as "spring sadness" and "flame of love" might be cl
assed as those things "said for what its worth," or "no harm in hearing what so
meone has to say." There is no need to resort to Tuo Kong Jing, stubbornly t
aking it verbatim as fact. Certainly Tuo Kong Jing also includes styles of w
riting besides love lyrics, such as apologies, nostalgic remincences, travel no
tes, and histories.
At the very beginning of this paper when I stated that the idea that "poetry
can vent resentment" is one of the major advocacies of Chinese literature, I spo
ke irresponsibly, connecting the idea with modern developments in the West. Tha
t is, however, quite natural. Inour discussion of the modern West we unconciousl
y referred to ancient China. The various subjects in the humanities which are r
elated to and affirm each other not only stride across national boundaries, link
ing different eras, but run through various disciplines as well. Because of the
rigid limitations of human life and intelligence we must for the sake of conveni
ence narrow the areas of study and slice each discipline as finely as possible.
There is no other choice. Therefore, although successful objectively, a scholar
in a certain discipline simply has no choice but to specialize. "Poetry can vent
resentment" involves even greater problems. tn commenting on poems and songs in
ancient times, importance was, attached to poverty and in appreciating the mus
ic of the ancient times the main role was played by "sadness." Do these two simi
lar conventions share a common psychological foundation? Tragedy was abandoned b
y the New Critics as useless, yet the overwhelming theories of history regard t
he tragedy as greater than the comedy. Do the traditional views and the views de
valuating "happiness and joy" share a common psychological basis? A serious and
law-abiding literary theorist might disregard such problems altogether, but suc
h an attitude will not cause them to disappear. Of course complete denial of the
ir existence might, however, be a "happy" solution to the problem.
—— translated by Dong Chun
1. Also Sprach Zarathustra, IV, chapter 13, A Collection of Neitzsche, II, K.
Schlechty, ed. (1955), p. 527.
2. See part 2 of Wen Xin Yu Jing Di Bing Feng Que Ji, in Qi Yan Lu San style, O
u Be, Shi Chao by Zhao Yi (赵翼《瓯北诗抄》七言律三《闻心余京邸病却及之二》)， S
hi Yan Po Jie Cao by Gong Zizhen (龚自珍《破戒草》卷下《释言》)。
3. Walter Muschg, Tragische Literaturgeschichte, 3rd, ed, (1957), p. 415.
4. Die Romantisehe Schule, vol. 2, section 4, A Collection of Heine, (East Berl
in, 1961) Book 5, p. 58.
5. The Name and Nature of Poetry, J. Carter, Selected Essays of A. E. Housem
an,(1961), p, 194. Then immediately Houseman stated that his poems were all writ
ten when he was "not in good health"; the so-called "natural" equals "healthy a
nd unmorbid." Giosue Carducci condemned the Romanticist who took poetry for "sec
resione naturale" in sentiment. See: N. Busette, Giosue Cardueci, (1958) p. 492;
The so-called "naturale"equals "write with facility without artistic embellishm
ent." the above "secrezioae unnaturale (morbid)" might probably mean the foll
owing “secrezione naturale(unprocessed).”
6. See Guan Zhui Bian(管锥编), pp. 935-7.
7. Freud, Collected Works, (London, 1950), vol. 14, pp. 355-433.
8. See Guan Zhui Bian, pp. 1211-2.
9. See Shen Zuozhe ( 沈作喆 ) , Yu Jian ( 寓简, vol. 4, Hong Mai (洪迈 ) , An E
ssay of Rong Qi (容斋随笔) , vol. 4, Qian Daxin (钱大昕) , A Collection of Q
ian Yantang (《潜研堂文集》) , vol. 26, Li Nanjian Shi Xu (《李南涧诗序》) , Xie
Zhangchan (谢章鋋 ), Teng Yin Ke Zhui (藤阴客贅)
10. Leopardi, Zibaldone di Pensieri, F. Flora, annotated, 5th, ed. (1957), vol.
1, p. 100.
11. See G. Lakoff and M. Johnson, Metaphors We Live By, (1980), "Happy is up; s
ad is down," p. 15, and "Happy is wide; sad is narrow," p. 18.
12. Foreword to J. Ch. Mampel's autobiography by Goethe. G. F. Senior and C. V.
Bock, Goethe the Critic (1960), p. 60. See Heine, Romancero, vol. 2, Das Gluc
k ist eine leichte Dirne, Collection of Letters and Poems, vol. 2, p. 79.
13. B. Shelley, To a Skylark; Juarinua Kerner, Poesie; Muset, La Nuit de Mai.
14. Edgar Allan Poe, The Poetic Principle and The Philosophy of Compositio
n, A Collection of Poetry and Essays (Oxford, 1945), pp. 177-195.
15. Robert Frost, Foreword to Collection of Poems by F. A. Robinsgn and
On Extravagance, William H. Pritchard, Lives of the Modern Poets (1980), pp.
129-137.
16. La Poesia, 5th, ed. (1953) p. 158.
17. Tragische Literaturaturgeschichte, p. 16.
18. See: A Letter to Sarah Jeffrey by Keats: "the English have produced the fine
st writers in the World, the English World had ill-treated them during their li
ves," See Keats' Letters and H. E. Rollins' annotation (1958), vol. 2, p. 115.
19. Wu Zeng (吴曾), Meng Gal Qi Man Lu ( 能改斋漫录) , vol. 16.
20. Poem by Fan Chengda (范成大) says "eventful" while a verse by Wang Fudao (
王辅道 ) states "uneventful. The two refer to the same thing; See Guan Zhui Bian
, pp. 169-172.
21. Boileau, L'Art Poetfque, article 2, line 47.
22. Jean Paul, Verschule der Aesthetik, section 52, quotation of Thomas Thorild,
Collection of Works by Jean Paul (Munich, 1965) vol. 5, p. 193.
23. The same as "Siao Kong" (梢空)"Jing" (经, Scripture) is the theory of Bud
dha, Where there is "Jing," there exists Buddha.
24. Heine, Neue Gedichte, (35 poems), A Collection of Poems and Letters, vol. 1,
p. 230.
25. See Guan Zhui Bian,pp. 946-949.
26. Alain Robbe-Grillet, Pour un nouveau roman (1963), p.55, quoted from Rol
and Barthes, pp. 66-67.
27. Probably Hegel is an important exception. He evaluated comedy much higher th
an tragedy; See S. S. Prawer, Karl Marx and World Literature (1976), p. 270. F
. T. Vischer also considered comedy higher than tragedy and it is the highest fo
rm of literature. See: Reno Wellek, A History of Modern Criticism, vol. 3 (1965)
, p. 220.
--
况阳春召我以烟景，大块假我以文章。会桃花之芳园，序天伦之乐事。
————李白《春夜宴从弟桃花园序》
守城捍天下，以千百就近之年，战百万日滋之师，蔽遮江淮，沮遇其势，天下之不亡。
————韩愈《张中丞传序》
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