〈豳風〉傳統《詩》說與周公形象 = The Rendition of the Duke of Zhou in"Odes of Bin"

The seven pieces of “Odes of Bin” in Classic of Poetry celebrate the achievement of the Duke of Zhou. They are the last of the fifteen pieces in “Airs of the States” and echo the first pieces of “Odes of Zhou and Shao”, and are followed by “Odes of the kingdom” and “Odes of the temple and the altar.” The most well-known poem in “Bin” is “The Seventh Month,” a piece by the Duke of Zhou about the achievement of the predecessor. The rest of the pieces, “Owl,” “The Hills of the East,” “Broken Axes,” “Hewing Ax Handle,” “Nine-Bag Net,” and “The Wolf’s Trample,” are about the life of the Duke of Zhou. This paper seeks to examine the life and image of the Duke of Zhou by means of a close reading of “Odes of Bin.” “The Seventh Month” shows his concern for agriculture and the well-being of the people. “Owl” is about how he overcomes challenges and difficulties. In “The Hills of the East,” he fights with soldiers and forms deep bonds with them. “Broken Axes” talks about how he leads battles and retrieves lost territories for Zhou. “Hewing Ax Handle” shows how his integrity wins the trust of the ruler. “Nine-Bag Net” is about how he is well liked and respected by the people. “The Wolf’s Trample” shows how he endures hardship and adversity as a saint. The approach of “Shi Xu” is to tell history through poems. The legendary life of the Duke of Zhou works as the prime example. Critics are divided on whether the Duke of Zhou ends up as the ruler. The newly found materials and recent studies like the Tsinghua Bamboo Slips as well as the re-examination of Yi Zhou Shu would help achieve a more in-depth understanding of the Duke of Zhou.