Meaning: The more difficult a person's situation is, the more perseverant a person is and the less he loses his lofty aspirations.

From: Tang Wangbo's "Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng"

Original text: "When you are old and strong, you would rather move your heart with a gray head? If you are poor and strong, you will not fall into the blue clouds."

Interpretation: "Those who set great ambitions in ancient times not only had extraordinary talents, but also had perseverance." Life is not a short burst of assault, but a marathon of endurance. A short burst of passion may be enough to achieve a breakthrough, but a perfect ending to a marathon requires long-term hard work.

Extended information

Wang Bo’s thought and personality blended various cultural factors such as Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. From the perspective of personality and spirit, Wang Bo is first of all a Confucian madman. He has lofty ambitions and the courage to enterprising; Secondly, he is also a proud person, proud of himself, despising things in the world, and despising the world.

Wang Bo’s poems directly inherit the spiritual trend of advocating Confucianism and valuing Confucianism during the Zhenguan period, and infuse it with the flavor of the new era, which is both magnificent and clear, yet impassioned and impassioned. It advocates the creative thought of "setting one's words and expressing one's ambitions" and the educational function of "articles adhering to the great cause of the country".

In terms of artistic form, "Preface to Prince Teng's Pavilion" accepted the tradition of lyrical poems of the Six Dynasties, and added prose to the form of parallel prose, achieving the unity of content beauty and form beauty. "Preface to Prince Teng's Pavilion" is not only a new change in parallel prose in the Six Dynasties, but also the forerunner of the popularization and metricalization of parallel prose in the Tang Dynasty.

Hu Yinglin commented on "Preface to Prince Teng's Pavilion" in "Poetry Sou": "It is unparalleled in its beauty, and its genre has almost changed in the six generations." The four rhymes of "Painted Building" and "Pearl Curtain" are also unique in Tang Dynasty short songs.