Life

Wang Bo was born in A.D 650 into a family with high literary status. His grandfather was the Sui dynasty Confucian philosopher Wang Tong. His father was named Wang Fuzhi (王福畤). According to the Old Book of Tang, Wang Bo could write poems when he was six years old; he finished reading the Classics when he was ten. Beginning his career under Prince Pei (Prince Zhanghuai), he wrote a call-to-arms (檄) in jest which was criticized by the emperor (Emperor Gaozong of Tang). After that, he killed a servant, ending his political career. This incident also implicated his father, who was banished to Jiaozhi. Wang. One account of Wang's death was that at age 26, he drowned on an ocean journey in search of his father.

Themes and Values

Self-display

While Wang Bo had a negative attitude toward Shangguan Style, he advocated for the true reflection of the poet found within auxiliary literature works. This literary goal was inspired by Sima Qian's "Shitaigong Zixu" (Self-preface of the Grand Scribe 史太公自序), which is autobiographical. In his poem "Fu" (赋), written after Bo's life with Prince Pei during his journey in Shu

(蜀), we can see self-display, which is "Youmiaoshan Xu" (游庙山序). This is the first time Wang Bo recorded major conflict within his experience as an explorer of the natural and the objective world, as well as an aspiring Daoist.

As the ideal he possessed that "poetry expresses one's mind" (诗言志) was gradually established in early Tang literary world, Wang Bo's other two prefaces, "Preface for a Banquet Held at a Pavilion in the North of Mianzhou, Attended by a Host of Gentlemen" (Mianzhou beiting qungong yan xu 绵州北亭羣公宴序) and "Preface for Collected Poems Composed When Several Gentlemen Visited Me on a Summer Day" (Xiari zhugong jian xunfang shixu 夏日诸公见寻访诗序), as well as one of his most famous works, "Tengwangge Xu", express his disappointment in political matters, but still bear his strong passion to show fealty to his country.

"Tengwangge Xu" was written in the journey of finding his father, through which Bo arrived at Hongzhou (洪州), experienced great hardships due to political turmoil, killed a servant, and received criticism on his articles. Keeping true to his nature, he wrote about the local autumn landscape in "Tengwangge" in an attempt to express his emotion. He described himself as an abject man with rough experience in political life, comparing himself with Sima Xiangru (司马相如) in order to reflect his strong wish to contribute to his country. This is clear evidence of his "self-display".

As one of the "Four Paragons of the Early Tang", Bo's ideology that "poetry expresses one's mind" contributed immensely not only to Early Tang poetic style at large, but also his important status in the Tang literary world.

Change at Peiwang

During Wang Bo's short life, he experienced political frustration during his time at Peiwang Fu (沛王府). As a result, the period considerably altered Bo's literature work, tying back societally driven essays with poems of frenzied emotion.

Wang Bo wrote "Tao Doji Xi" (讨斗鸡檄) with a jocular attitude, boldly praising Peiwang's local government and instrumental in his win when showcased at a court-sponsored competition; the Emperor wrote off this victory, citing his status as a "Wai Cai" (a talented contributor with a strange ideology) while juxtaposing it with his status as a "Boshi" (a noble's advisor and personal literary tutor). He was expelled forcefully from Peiwang Fu.

The final snarl in Wang Bo's political life was his dispatching of Cao Da (曹达), a noble's servant, marking him for the death penalty. Bo was released from the sentence, yet he lost his place among his former governmental peers.

In grim memory of the prior accidents that had disfavored him, Wang Bo altered his brash article style. As his literary work "self-displayed" to a greater and greater extent, past the events of his stint in Pei, he projected an increasingly negative atmosphere, and reflected his sad emotion and yearning to return to political matters in order to advance a peaceful and prosperous nation.

Influence and achievements

Pei Xingjian (裴行俭), who was an official Attendant Gentleman of the Ministry of Personnel (吏部). He was nominated, along with Yang Jiong (杨炯), Lu Zhaolin (卢照邻), and Luo Binwang (骆宾王) as one-fourth of the "Four Paragons of the Early Tang" (初唐四杰).

As mentioned before, Wang Bo opposed Gongti Style (宫体诗风), which is a school of literature, seeking for the perfect beauty of world using, but ignore the content and sense. Wang Bo had established "poetry express one's mind" also carry it forward, which provided a new style for Tang Literary world. Wang Bo's poems, for example, "Farewell to Prefect Du" (Song DuShaofu Zhi Ren Shuzhou送杜少府之任蜀州) was selected in "300 poems of Tang". His article, "Tengwangge Xu" (滕王阁序) has been select in Chinese high-school textbook.

Also, Wang Bo contained a high achievement in Tang Fu(赋). In early and High Tang literature history, an interesting literary phenomena is "wrote Shi in Fu style "(以赋为诗). So many poets and writer are creating Fu. Wang Bo's famous work, such as Chunsi Fu(春思赋) and Cailian Fu(采莲赋), both have a high status in literary world. Wang Bo and "Four Paragons" use their experiment of trying and exploring the new genre. Their experiments provide huge contribute to thriving literature world of the Tang dynasty.

Critical and Comments

There are both positive and negative comments about Wang Bo and his literary works. Positive comments think he is talent and provide a huge contribution in Tang literature world, especially poems and "Fu". Negative comments outline Wang Bo's mistake on kill Cao Da, which mentioned before, they think he is "frivolous and shallow".

Positive

High Tang Poet Du Fu(杜甫) had been wrote poems to criticize Wang Bo and Four Paragons of Early Tang" with a positive attitude. There is an example:

- Yang, Wang, Lu, and Luo—the style of those times—

Frivolous and shallow were their compositions, disdain never ceased.

All of you—your persons and names have both perished, Uninterrupted is the current of the river for a myriad age.

Duan Chengshi(段成式) also record Wang Bo's amazing talent in writing. He outlined a short story of Wang Bo, which when he writing article never interrupt.

- Every time Wang Bo composed a stele inscription or panegyric, he first ground several liters of ink, and laid down with a blanket covering him up to his face. All of a sudden, he got up and wrote it in a single stroke, without correcting and blotting it. People of his time called it "belly draft."

Negative

But there are still some negative comments of Wang Bo and his article, in Du Fu's poem as mentioned before, he states that the Four paragons of Early Tang's work are "frivolous and shallow"(轻薄). This criticize was caused by Wang Bo killed a servant called Cao Da, that is a mistake that cannot really accept by the government. In Jiu Tangshu(旧唐书), Wang Bo's biograph, comments was outlined as "bombastic, impetuous, shallow, and flaunting" (浮躁浅露).Wen Yiduo(闻一多), a Chinese famous scholar had explained "frivolous and shallow" of Wang Bo and Four paragons of Early Tang like that: "Because their behavior and conduct were romantic, they suffered from all the mockery and denunciation of others."

Translations

Wang Bo's most famous poem, "Farewell to Prefect Du" (Song DuShaofu Zhi Ren Shuzhou送杜少府之任蜀州) was selected in "300 Tang Poems" for Chinese Children's enlightenment. Now, "300 Tang Poems" had been translated in English with several translator, makes those poems are known in the world.

生平

王勃出身于士大夫家庭，祖父为隋末大儒王通，叔祖为隋唐之际隐士诗人王绩，父亲王福畤。王勃自少聪慧，九岁时读颜师古《汉书注》，作《汉书指瑕》；少年时已在洛阳参加官员间的宴会，并受邀作诗；十四岁时得刘祥道举荐「幽素科」。王勃热衷于功名，致力撰写诗赋呈献给高官，刘祥道、贺兰敏之、沛王李贤和唐高宗都欣赏他的诗歌。十七岁时，王勃被沛王徵为侍读，667年到东吴游览。正当少年得志之时，王勃遇上沉重打击。669年，诸王鬪鸡，王勃为沛王撰文《檄英王鸡》，唐高宗看到此文，愤怒地说：这样做会增加两位王子互相斗争之心。即日斥退王勃，不再让他进入王府。同年七月，王勃有西南之行，游览蜀地景物，藉以排遣政治失意。自669年秋，王勃与卢照邻结伴而行，先后到梓州、成都、彭州等地，在蜀地结识各级官员，撰写宴会诗的序文，藉机显露才华。

流寓三年后， 671年王勃回京，参加由吏部侍郎裴行俭主持的铨选考课，与杨炯、卢照邻、骆宾王同时参选，成为文坛佳话。王勃致力呈献著作，对象包括当时掌管诠选的裴行俭与李敬玄，王勃又向裴行俭上「启」，陈述己见与大志，名气迅速传遍天下，结果「三府」交相徵聘，王勃却因病请辞，请求为虢州参军。王勃在虢州时，官奴曹达因犯法而向王勃求保护，王勃把他藏起来，后来觉得藏不住了，怕受到连累，暗地里杀了曹达。事情被揭发后，王勃被判死刑，674年改元大赦，王勃得以出狱，于675年回归故乡龙门；父亲王福畤因王勃的罪行而失官，被逐为交趾县令。同年六月时李贤晋封太子，再大赦，王勃可以回复旧职，但没有接受，八月与父亲从龙门出发南下，这等于他与父亲同时被流放。父子路经洪州滕王阁，参与宴会，王勃撰成不朽名篇《滕王阁序》。后南行途中，王勃渡海溺死（一说王勃南下与其父会合时溺死），年二十八。

文学

诗歌

近体诗

王勃对诗歌的革新，表现在对偶句及诗歌结尾的撰写，其律诗较当时流行的宫廷诗歌简单和个性化，后来发展成盛唐律诗的特点。五律《送杜少府之任蜀川》表达直接，与当时宫廷诗风的矫饰作风形成鲜明对照：「城阙辅三秦，风烟望五津。与君离别意，同是宦游人。海内存知己，天涯若比邻。无为在歧路，儿女共沾巾。」作者在长安送别友人到四川去做县尉，往西南望去，只见一片风烟，气象开阔博大，抒发即使远隔天涯，知己仍像亲近的邻居一样，心灵相通。五律《易阳早发》描述夜空中的凉飙和流萤，与白日艰苦的旅程，「复此凉飙至，空山飞夜萤」，表达了诗人旅途上的愁闷。王勃也写过一些隐士诗和游仙诗，但不及其送别诗与旅行诗出色。

王勃的绝句自我色彩强烈，五绝《山中》是他在后世最流行的作品之一：「长江悲已滞，万里念将归。况属高风晚，山山黄叶飞。」此诗乃寓居巴蜀时所作，抒发未能回归长安的悲哀，在深秋黄昏时份，但见山上都是黄叶在飘零飞舞。王勃能走出宫廷诗人的园林游览，描写大自然的壮丽和险峻陡峭的景象。他途经剑阁山区，写下五绝《普安建阴题壁》，叙述在山上俯瞰看似无底的河流，旅途艰辛，云雾笼罩，引出游子何时可归的忧虑。《江亭夜月送别其二》：「乱烟笼碧砌，飞月向南端。寂寂离亭掩，江山此夜寒。」头两句用字典雅，尾句则朴素，说明江亭关闭的原因，表现了渗透人和景物的寒冷感觉。王勃也善于用宫廷风格写精巧矫饰的绝句，如七绝《秋江送别二首》。排律《泥溪》对句出色，句法曲折，感受新鲜，将水行的危险与陆行的危险相对，景象奇异美丽。

古体诗

乐府方面，王勃并不因循乐府旧题的固有体式规限，「自我作古」，从传统中解放出来，创制与旧题乐谱不同的作品，改造传统乐府体式，形式上的特色包括篇幅加长，以四句或六句为一解，以及多长短句杂言。其长篇歌行《秋夜长》、《采莲归》、《临高台》，都是从乐府扩展而成。王勃通过对原调的改动，在字句和分章都使之向整齐韵律推进，大幅加长原调短曲，以充实敍事抒情内容。《秋夜长》叙述思妇长夜不寐，悲伤幽怨，诗歌以思妇喻己，以征夫离家而去比喻君王疏远自己，透过描写传统游子思妇相思之情，寄寓自己对昔日光辉的缅怀。《采莲曲》似为六朝同题作品的模仿，其诗增长篇幅，杂言为诗以及基本上以四句构成一韵组，最为明显的曲体特徵是使用三言句，一曲之中自生起伏，以四句为一解，藉以转换场景焦点，从采莲景象、女子相思、征夫未还、雁书来至等，一解一景，突出采莲女思念征夫的主题。采莲女怀想夫君之事有所寓意，诗句描绘采莲女的美艳，并加入游子思妇的题材。

王勃《陇西行》以乐歌形式重写史事，全诗分十章，叙述陇西故事，聚焦于《史记．李将军列传》所述的李广生平事迹。王勃七言歌行中的杰作是《临高台》，此诗沿用乐府旧题，音节富于变化，富于抒情色彩，描写从高台观察京城的景象，「高台四望同，帝乡佳气郁葱葱」；结尾的死亡象徵写得漫不经意，寄寓对人生短暂的感伤。诗人通过俯瞰城市，看到美丽的短暂无常，表现及时行乐、荣华易逝的思想。七言古诗《滕王阁》表达世俗荣华短暂无常的主题，滕王阁只是短暂的寻欢作乐歌舞之地，与之相对的是永恒的大江。王勃从未从军塞外，却写有边塞乐府，对边塞地名的铺排妙用，展现了广博学问与对国家的深厚感情。

辞赋

王勃入蜀前辞赋文风绮靡，用典繁密，语言雕琢；入蜀后辞赋风格清新脱俗，语言平易晓畅。早期辞赋之作有《七夕赋》、《九成宫东台山池赋》。其中《寒梧栖凤赋》是唐代律赋的最早作品，是唐代定韵作赋的最早作品之一，赋文引经据典，用语雅正，写凤凰非醴泉不饮，非练实不食的高傲性格，勾画了作者清高却未受青睐的形象，抒发渴望得到重用，语气不卑不亢，行文婉转有度。四韵短赋经王勃的实践，使其题材开阔，体裁灵便，抒情咏物到达了新高峰。《驯鸢赋》体制趋向短小和格律化，有鲜明个人色彩，以自傲的鸢鸟形象，勾画自身仕途挫折的遭遇。卢照邻亦作有同名《驯鸢赋》，二赋互吐心声，嗟叹境遇。王勃感叹当初以为天地之大可作一番大事业，结果却受伤被困，抒发挫折后「与道浮沉」的豁达。在《江曲孤凫赋》中，作者磨平了愤慨，表达的是悠闲自适，与世无争的思想，与屈原楚辞《卜居》同样选用孤凫为意象，以对比手法突出己志，捕捉凫鸟孤身畅游之乐，寄托诗人摒弃名利，逍遥自乐的出世思想。

《春思赋》写于671年，为作者自喻之作，创作于仕途失意与旅居他乡流离转徒之际，序文用《世说新语》新亭对泣故事，表达身处蜀地的异乡情怀。赋文模仿潘岳《秋兴赋》的自叙模式及抒情手法，风格纤浓华丽，极尽模描雕绘之能事，却并非六朝春赋传统的延续，而是返回《楚辞》的抒情传统。内容写到长安、洛阳、江南的春色，也描写了各种人物的春思，包括荡子从军、娼妇闺怨等流行题材，成为一幅初唐的生活画卷。赋文叙述征夫守边，「羌笛唯横陇路风，戎衣直照关山月」，把乐府横吹曲吹奏的《陇头水》和《关山月》巧妙地融合情境，以呈现边塞景象。作者怀著愤懑失意的心情，面对春色无边，不禁悲从中来；全赋以失意落魄为主调，结尾则以司马相如和陈平后来得志的故事自况自励，表达了乐观与自信。形式上以赋体铺陈为基础，行文则以五、七言诗句为主，如「春江澹容与，春期无处所；春水春鱼乐，春汀春雁举」等句，以大量诗句入赋，与乐府传统渊源甚深，融和诗赋体裁。《采莲赋》作于675年，献给其旧主沛王李贤，期望这位新封太子加以重新提携。赋文袭用江淹《别赋》的体裁结构，善于修辞，描写丰赡繁复，运用典故旁徵博引，集中描绘昔日宴会的场景，席上皆是才华洋溢的隐士与宾客，然后笔锋转至被疏远的诗人，他被流放至南方，正受羁旅之苦，「伤君王兮未知」，「忆离居兮方苦」，展现诗人人生挫折。

骈文

王勃骈文《滕王阁序》非常著名，标志著他写作生涯的巅峰。王勃序的一大特色，在直抒胸臆，述己之幸酸，不时流露身世之感，《滕王阁序》即以自伤之情贯穿全文。滕王阁建在江西南昌附近，《滕王阁序》原题《秋日登洪州滕王阁饯别序》，作于675年，王勃时年二十六岁，随父亲王福畤前往南方就任交趾县令的途上。王勃及父亲受到洪州都督阎伯屿的盛情邀请，临别时王勃在宴上受邀撰写宴会诗集之序。序文辞藻雅丽，夸赞洪州景物，大部份典故都和洪州当地历史与风俗紧密相连，写出悲伤和忧虑的色彩，注入作者个人身世之感，表现沮丧心情，结合了华丽文风与写景时偶尔表现的个人感情，用典精当，勾勒出一个失意青年的自画像。如「李广难封」句中引用了《史记》所载李广故事，李广未能封侯，与王勃不幸遭遇的原因类似。《滕王阁序》最有名的两句是「落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色」，当时就深受人们喜爱，传诵甚广。王勃常在序文中透露对个人不幸际遇的感慨，《滕王阁序》外，还写了大量骈文，大多作于类似宴会上，但大部份已散佚。《益州德阳县善寂寺碑序》叙述时地与背景后，以王褒、扬雄和司马相如自比文才，而以孔子比喻自己怀才不遇。

思想

文艺观方面，王勃贬斥龙朔年间（661—664）的浮夸文风，大力主张文章的「刚健」与「风骨」。在上呈吏部侍郎裴行俭的启中，王勃上承裴子野《雕虫论》的观点，认为雕琢文风乃朝政衰败的因由，高举儒家经典以批评时文的绮靡，并指出时文崇尚雕琢乃「以诗赋为先」的选官制度使然，批评官员考核过度强调诗赋写作，使士人趋之若鹜，舍本逐末。王勃也写下大量学术著作，大部份与儒家思想有关。

文集

杨炯编的王勃文集有三十卷（一说由王勃之兄王勮、王勔主持编纂），编纂于684至689年间。其后散佚严重，今存的明代刊本王勃集只有两卷，是从《文苑英华》等文集再编的辑本，清代蒋清翊加以注释，撰成《王子安集注》。初唐时《王勃集》就传至日本，至今保存了《王勃集》卷28、卷29、卷30的古抄本残本。日本正仓院保存著称为《王勃诗序》的抄本，年代记录是「庆云四年」（707年），共保存王勃序41篇，其中有20篇不见于明清时中国的文献，文字比中国现存的刊本更接近王勃原本。

评价

王勃是初唐最享负盛名的作家之一，与杨炯、卢照邻、骆宾王合称「初唐四杰」。裴行俭评论王勃「华而不实」，潜质优厚但却一事无成。杨炯称许王勃对宫廷诗歌雕琢的文体进行变革，赞扬王勃开一代之风，乃使「积年绮碎，一朝清廓」，其刚健文风超脱了南朝的绮丽，为一众时人所学习仿效。七世纪中期时人评论初唐四杰辞藻华丽而「轻薄」，据盛唐诗人杜甫诗《戏为六绝句六首》其二曰：「王杨卢骆当时体，轻薄为文哂未休」。元代方回高度评价王勃诗歌的技巧。明末唐汝询把唐代绝句抒情之功归于王勃。近人叶嘉莹批评王勃「对于人生没有太深入的了解，在思想性方面并没有什么深度」，「不能成为真正好的第一流诗人」。宇文所安赞赏王勃对偶句的创作：「作为中国最著名的骈文作家之一，王勃的真正力量在于描写及构造完美的对句的能力」。陈伟强评论王勃「诗赋骈文，雕琢华丽，不脱六朝气习」，其人「才华洋溢，可惜英年早逝，否则其文学与学术成就必定远不止此」。

传说

五代时王定保《唐摭言》记载，王勃十四岁时出席了南昌的一次宴会，南昌府都督阎公在滕王阁宴请宾客，大家饮酒作诗收集起来，前面还要写一篇序文。阎公请参加宴会的文人作序，王勃以外，大家都谦让。都督事先已让其女婿准备好序文，以便在盛会中表现才能。不料王勃席间自告奋勇写了《滕王阁序》，阎公愤然离席，令下官伺其下笔。初闻文章开头，阎公评价说「亦是老生常谈」；接著又报，阎公听闻后沉吟不语；及至「落霞与孤鹜齐飞，秋水共长天一色」这句对仗，阎公大惊喊道「此真天才，当垂不朽」，知道王勃作品的确精彩，远在其女婿之上，随即款待王勃。《唐摭言》这则轶闻成为后来野史、诗歌、戏曲相关故事的蓝本，被改编和渲染。晚明冯梦龙小说《马当神风送滕王阁》、清初郑瑜杂剧《滕王阁》的情节梗概为：王勃偶遇一老翁，原来老翁是马当山神，他用风送王勃使之及时赶到滕王阁宴会去。