It means that literary creation is a matter of time, but the success or failure of its creation can only be known in one's heart.

From "Odd Titles", it is a five-character rhyme poem composed by Du Fu, a poet in the Tang Dynasty. The first half of the poem summarizes the general development of poetry creation before the Tang Dynasty, and the author's admiration for previous writers and his personal ambition to create; the second half expresses his feelings about the chaos of the world and personal wandering, and explains that poetry is born from emotion. , written by love, is a reflection of the author's feelings in real life. ?

The whole poem (excerpt) is as follows:

The article tells the story of the ages, knowing the gains and losses. The authors are all special, and their reputations never fade away.

The scholar has disappeared, and the Han Dynasty is flourishing here. The seniors soared in, and the remaining waves were beautiful.

The translation is as follows:

Literary creation is a matter of time, but the success or failure of its creation can only be known in one's heart. Writers of all ages have their own unique achievements and status. How can their reputation be so easily passed on to future generations?

It is a pity that the authors of Sao style poetry represented by Qu Yuan have passed away. The poetic and literary creation of the Han Dynasty, especially the five-character poems of the Han Dynasty, took their place and became more and more prosperous. At the end of the Han Dynasty and the beginning of the Wei Dynasty, poets of the Jian'an and Huangchu generations were bold in innovation and jumped into the poetry world with vigorous posture. What is regrettable is that by the Southern and Northern Dynasties, poetry had become less formal and beautiful.

Extended information:

At the beginning of the chapter, he recited the famous philosophical sentence "The article is about eternal things, and you know the gains and losses." Of course, this "knowing in one's heart" refers to both what one knows and what one's close friends know.

Then, while supporting this "immortal" "eternal event", he also talked about the inheritance and development of the art of poetry from ancient times to the present. The poets of the past dynasties can be ranked in order. The Sao style and even the earliest poetry have been replaced by the five-character and seven-character poetry styles since the Han Dynasty. The predecessors of the poets galloped their talents and leaped into the literary world, leaving a strong influence on later generations.

The talents of later generations always incorporate and innovate on the basis of inheriting their predecessors, so that the creations of different eras can form unique and fresh standards. Then I think about my own creation, which originally came from the Confucian system. I have devoted myself to creation since childhood.

I can’t forget the influence of the Western Jin Dynasty poets Pan Yue, Lu Ji and others who galloped like “騄” and “骥” and other good horses, and I must also thank the “骐” and “?” among the horses for leading the thousand-mile horse. Encouragement given by Ye Xia Sancao and his son, who are galloping in the poetry world.

Baidu Encyclopedia - "Odd Questions"