Gong Zizhen was a Qing Dynasty thinker and writer born in 1792 into a feudal official family in Renhe, near modern Hangzhou. He loved reading from childhood, especially poetry, and by age 14 could compose poems, by 18 could write lyrics, and by 20 became a famous poet known for his rich imagination and colorful, romantic style. His poems exposed the Qing court's corruption and darkness, advocated reform, supported the anti-opium faction, opposed aggression and compromise, and were filled with patriotic passion—he was a true patriot.
Gong Zizhen passed the provincial exam at 27 and the imperial exam at 38, serving as an official in the Qing government for about 20 years. Disgusted by the corruption and darkness in officialdom, he was constantly sidelined and attacked. In 1839, at age 48, he resolutely resigned and headed home. On the journey back, gazing at the country's beautiful landscapes and witnessing the suffering of the people, he was deeply moved and, with a flood of emotions, improvised poem after poem on the spot.
One day, the poet Gong Zizhen passed through Zhenjiang and found the streets packed with a lively crowd. Upon asking, he learned they were holding a temple festival, parading statues of the Jade Emperor, the Wind God, and the Thunder God in solemn worship. Someone recognized Gong Zizhen, and upon hearing that the literary giant was present, a Taoist priest immediately pushed through the crowd and begged him to compose a prayer for the gods. Gong Zizhen, writing swiftly without pause, produced the poem "The Land's Vitality Depends on Wind and Thunder," consisting of four lines: "The land's vitality depends on wind and thunder; / The silence of ten thousand horses is truly lamentable. / I urge the Heavenly Lord to shake off his slumber, / And send down talents of every kind without restraint." In the poem, "the land" refers to all of China. The meaning is that for China to thrive, it needs social change as fierce as a storm; the current silence and oppression are deeply saddening. Gong Zizhen calls on Heaven to revive and send forth capable people, unbound by convention.
Later, people condensed the phrase "not limited to one pattern in discovering talent" into the idiom "not limited to one pattern," used to describe not being confined to a single standard or method.
Source: *Jihai Miscellaneous Poems* by Gong Zizhen
Meaning of the Idiom: Later, the Chinese idiom "不拘一格" came to describe not being confined to a single standard or method.