At midnight, talking about Han Yu and Liu Yuxi

Author: Jin Xingyao
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-01-01
Features: This series of books presents poets' life journeys, the connotations of their works, and poetic artistry in the form of comic illustrations. It emphasizes artistic quality, storytelling, and entertainment. Each book includes 40-50 short essays, each focusing on a single poem or a specific event. Reading each piece individually allows readers to appreciate the essence of the works, while reading them together provides insights into the poet's life and character. The essays delve into poets' anecdotes and the appreciation of their works, offering both depth and accessibility, catering to both the academic and general audiences. It serves as an excellent cultural essay as well as an academic one, making it highly suitable for readers with intermediate cultural literacy.
Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan were the two towering figures of the mid-Tang literary scene. Their collaboration in promoting the Classical Prose Movement was a grand endeavor, advocating for the elimination of ornate and artificial prose styles from the Six Dynasties period, reviving the literary tradition of the past eight generations. In poetry, Han Yu's works are known for their eccentricity, dramatic twists, and are often considered obscure by later generations, yet they also a new path, showcasing remarkable strength. Liu Zongyuan's poems are elegant and profound, elevating the landscape poetry tradition to new heights, becoming a defining style of the era, with no dispute regarding their excellence. This book focuses on poetry, weaving through the life stories, rises and falls of Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan, using concise and powerful prose to meticulously recount their personalities, striving to recreate the poets' true characters.