Allusion in Classical Poetry

2008/3/17 16:27:03

The market is howling with ghosts and wolves — a perfect backdrop for us to indulge in some refined poetic diversions.

The use of allusion in classical poetry is an important subject. Because the word count in poetry is so limited, some extremely complex ideas must be deftly resolved through skillful use of allusion.

The regulated verse this ID posted over the weekend — I doubt anyone truly understood it. Because none of you noticed where the allusions were skillfully deployed.

Tell me: among the 56 characters below, which two are the most important? I doubt anyone can answer correctly.

"In the second month, breeze and sun are fresh on earth; goose-yellow, duck-green, an azure sky. Red tender, purple delicate — eyes newly opened; pale jade, deep orange — boats launched at dawn. Here and there idle clouds, now far, now near; a pot of clear wine, free to wake or sleep. Orioles sing, swallows chatter in ten thousand trees; melodious on the branch tips — how lovely indeed."

In this ID's regulated verse, the first lines splash seven colors about — look at those seven color words, which happen to constitute the decomposition of light. Then the 5th and 6th lines suddenly turn to extreme plainness, forming a stark contrast. The final couplet is the finishing touch that brings the dragon to life — without that final couplet, this poem need not have been written at all.

Here, the two most important characters are "branch tips" (枝头). The most famous allusion involving these two characters is the Song Dynasty nun's so-called enlightenment poem, "Spring on the branch tips is already full and complete," and the second most famous is, of course, that line from a ci-lyric, "On the branch tips of red apricots, spring spirit revels."

Here, "branch tips" is always associated with spring spirit, and spring spirit is Zen spirit — at least, that is how it is understood in the realm of poetry.

The first seven lines — volumes could be written — whether painting heaven and earth in brilliant colors or settling into inner calm, with orioles singing and swallows chattering in ten thousand trees, none of them can express a fraction of what "branch tips" conveys, yet every one of them embodies "melodious on the branch tips — how lovely indeed." Lovely (可怕), meaning adorable. "How lovely indeed" — like the smile at the picking up of a flower.

If you possess this kind of eye, then you can begin to understand the poem. Otherwise, it's all empty talk.

When allusion is used well, it is completely invisible as allusion — what's called "dissolving salt in water." This cannot be achieved by deliberate effort alone, nor could the ancients necessarily achieve it either.

On the great path of poetry, moderns too can reach places the ancients found difficult to attain.