The term ‘thin on a cold island in the suburbs’ was accidentally encountered by the editor, and I found it quite interesting, so I went to flip through books. In ancient times, “cold” meant coldness, fear, poverty, etc., while “thin” meant emaciation, narrowness, loneliness, etc. We understand the meanings of “cold” and “thin”, but what do the terms “suburban” and “island” mean? What does the term ‘thin on a remote island’ mean? Where does it come from? What other allusions are there? Next, the editor will explain in detail to everyone.
1、 Who does’ Suburban Island Skinny ‘refer to?
In fact, ‘Suburban Cold Island Skinny’, also known as’ Island Skinny Suburban Cold ‘, refers to the two Tang Dynasty poets Meng Jiao and Jia Dao, and this term is also related to their styles. The poetic styles of Meng Jiao and Jia Dao are both characterized by a clear, strange, melancholic, and desolate atmosphere, with a relatively narrow scope. In addition, they also pay special attention to careful contemplation and precise sentence structure. So when reading their works, one often feels cold, thin, and embarrassed. In the early Song Dynasty, Ouyang Xiu, one of the “Eight Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties,” once said, “The disciples of Meng Jiao and Jia Dao were once again filled with their melancholy and melancholy
2、 The origin of ‘Suburban Island Skinny’
Yuan is light and plain, but thin in the cold countryside.
——Su Shi’s “Sacrifice to Willow and Jade” from the Song Dynasty
3、 Meng Jiao’s representative works
Wanderer’s Song
A loving mother holds a thread in her hand, while a wanderer wears a top.
There are many gaps before departure, and I am afraid I will return late.
Who says a tiny blade of grass can repay the three spring rays.
Appreciation: This is a hymn of maternal love, and I believe everyone should have learned it since taking Tang poetry class. Although the entire poem consists of only six sentences and thirty words, it highlights and praises the greatness and selflessness of maternal love. At that time, the author was old enough to “know fate” and finally ended his long wandering life, taking care of his mother by his side. At this time, the poet had experienced the vicissitudes of life and felt the value of maternal love even more, so he wrote this deeply moving poem to praise his mother.
The author of the entire poem adopts the technique of line drawing, expressing the poet’s gratitude for maternal love and deep love and respect for the mother through a seemingly ordinary scene of sewing clothes before leaving. Although the language is unadorned and simple, it is full of rich and sincere emotions, reflecting the ordinary yet great motherly love that people have felt for thousands of years, and is widely recited by the world.
4、 Jia Dao’s representative works
Title: Li Ning’s secluded residence
Living idle with few neighbors, the grass path leads into the barren garden.
Birds roost on the trees by the pond, while monks knock on the door under the moon.
Crossing the bridge, dividing colors, moving rocks and moving cloud roots.
Leaving for now and returning here, the period of seclusion is not in vain.
Appreciation: This poem describes things that the poet did not encounter when visiting his friend Li Ning. The whole poem expresses the author’s longing for a secluded life through ordinary scenery such as grass paths, barren gardens, nesting birds, pond trees, wild colors, and cloud roots, as well as through ordinary activities such as idle living, knocking on doors, crossing bridges, and temporarily going away.
This is the meaning of ‘thin on a cold island in the suburbs’. From the representative works of Meng Jiao and Jia Dao mentioned above, these two poets do indeed fit the description of this term.
