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A Survey of Literature in the Style of Li Sao by the Former and Latter Seven Poets in the Ming Dynasty

Author: LiTao
Tutor: LiJinShan
School: Hebei University
Course: Ancient Chinese Literature
Keywords: Ming dynasty Literary works in the style of Li Sao Former and Latter Seven Poets Theme Art
CLC: I207.22
Type: Master's thesis
Year: 2010
Downloads: 126
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Abstract

During the Ming dynasty, the advocacy of a renaissance of ancient poetry lasted for about eight or nine decades, which was started by the Former Seven Poets among whom were Li Mengyang and He Jingming during the reigns of Emperor HongZhi and Emperor ZhengDe, and was continued by the Latter Seven Poets among Whom were Li Panlong and Wang Shizhen during the reigns of Emperor JiaJing and Emperor WanLi. Poetry and“Fu”in the style of Li Sao under the influence of the theory of the renaissance composed one important part of the literary works of the Former and Latter Seven Poets. To comb through and analyse the literary Works of these poets from the aspects of style, theme and form must be beneficial to apprehend the whole process of development of literary works in the style of Li Sao, to explain the relationship between Literary works in the style of Li Sao in the Ming dynasty and the original work of Chu Ci, to realize the influence and changes in the spreading of the original work of Chu Ci in the Ming dynasty, thus broadening the researching fields of literary works in the style of Li Sao in the Ming dynasty and the Ming Literature as a whole.Among the researching methods applied in this thesis are that of case studying, the inte grating method of document summing up and analyzing, and that of comparing. With the methods mentioned above, the thesis combs through the contents, art characteristics and the inheritance of literary trends of the literary works in the style of Li Sao by the Former and Latter Seven Poets. The three chapters are as follows:Chapter One gives a survey of the literary works in the style of Li Sao by the Former and Latter Seven Poets and classifies them into four groups, that is, poetry in the style of Li Sao ,“Fu”in the style of Li Sao, imitating works of Li Sao and works of sorrowful affection. And by elucidating according to what they are classified, it lays the foundation of further analyzing and researching of these works. Poetry in the style of Li Sao, mainly poems in the form of“Yue Fu”and poems imitating“Yue Fu”composes more than a half of all the literary works in the style of Li Sao.“Fu”in the style of Li Sao, though clearly named“Fu”, takes the literary form of Li Sao, that is, the basic sentence type is marked by the use of the peculiar function character“Xi”, making up an important part, too. Imitating works of Li Sao are of a small quantity, taking the form of“Chu Ci”and both contents and diction imitating Qu Yuan. These works spoke for Qu Yuan and expressed their own feelings in memory of Qu Yuan. Works of sorrowful affection are a relatively traditional form of poetry in the style of Li Sao, including mourning verse in the style of Li Sao and epitaphs in the style of Li Sao.Chapter Two combs through and analyses the themes and contents of the literary works in the style of Li Sao by the Former and Latter Seven Poets. They are introduced by being classified into six groups, that is, depression and discontent caused by being underestimated, anxiety and sorrow about the country and the times, upholding virtues and self-improvement, visiting( a historical site, etc ) and pondering on the past, expressing emotions by eulogizing objects, presenting and mourning. Most of these poets were“Jin Shi”, excellent scholars elected and qualified through exams by the government, who were talented and versatile and what’s more important, they were honest and upright gentlemen of character and integrity. However, they were officials of low rank and didn’t have a smooth path in promotion. Thus depression and discontent caused by being underestimated made up an important part of their literary works. Worrying about the country, they criticized and attacked the darkness of the society, in which there was no distinction between right and wrong, good and evil. Thus the contents of Li Sao by Qu Yuan were chanted for another time. Uphololing virtues and self-improvement, the persevering pursuit of ideals, progress and light was their choice of life and the theme they chanted passionately. In the works of visiting and pondering on the past, which were written in an ancient, deep and plain style, the poets expressed their own ambitions by recalling the people and stories in ancient times. In the works of expressing emotions by eulogizing objects, which were of some artistic value to some extent, the poets expressed some meditation and feelings on life and society. In works of presenting, the poets either described the entrusted affection between friends, or sang high praise for man’s noble character of integrity, or expressed deep sorrow of departing. Filled with genuine feelings and emotions, these works are touching.Chapter Three analyses the artistic characteristics of the literary works in the style of Li Sao by the Former and Latter Seven Poets. It reasons from three aspects as follows: the inheritance form and development of the original Li Sao, the prose-oriented trend in imitating the ancient poetry, and the aesthetic taste combining elegance and popularity. As for the use of“Bi Xing”, the Former and Latter Seven Poets inherited the traditional use of“Bi Xing”in the works of“Chu Ci”and developed it, mainly signified by a specific and vivid description of the objects used as“Bi Xing”, which was obviously under the influence of the method of“Pu Cai Chi Wen”(to describe in a detailed, specific and elegant way) in“Fu”of the Han dynasty. Though advocating a renaissance of ancient poetry, the Former and Latter Seven Poets showed a prose-oriented trend in their works, displayed in the aspects of sentence type, structure and way of expressing. And this was a result of the influence of different styles of prose,“Fu”and poetry to different extent. The Former and Latter Seven Poets Showed in their works in the style of Li Sao the aesthetic taste combining elegance and popularity by advocating a renaissance of ancient poetry, emphasizing feelings and emotions and upholding folk songs.

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