Research on the Jianghu School of Poetry in the Southern Song Dynasty

Author: Guo Feng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-10-01
Features: This is an academic work on the school of Song Dynasty Ci poetry. It defines the Jianghu Ci school from the perspective of Jianghu culture and analyzes the exemplary significance of Jianghu Ci school in the works of Jiang Bai. It argues that lyrical and descriptive poetry are the expressive methods of the Jianghu Ci school, while "qingkong sao ya" (clear emptiness and elegant elegance) is its creative style and aesthetic ideal. Through a comprehensive examination of the aforementioned topics, it concludes that the Jianghu Ci school is a relatively typical school of Ci poetry in the Song and Yuan dynasties.
Excerpt:
"Qingkong and Sao Ya"
"Qingkong sao ya" holds a universal significance in Song Dynasty Ci poetry, and the Jianghu Ci school's style is a special form of this universal meaning. Qingkong and sao ya can be linked together to form the Jianghu Ci school's style; they can also be separated, such as the "qingkong" in Dongpo's Ci and the "sao ya" in Jiaxuan's Ci. Additionally, "qingkong" can include sao ya, as in Lu Fuzhi's transmission of Zhang Yan's "qingkong" Ci method, which includes the "sao ya" of Jiang Bai. So, what is the relationship between the two?
"Qingkong" is a term in poetics, and the Song people rarely used it directly to discuss poetic creation. However, some commonly used concepts are very close to it. Jiang Bai's "clear as the bottom of a pool" and Yan Yu's "thorough enlightenment" are both achieved by moving from talent to rules, and then surpassing those rules to reach the "qingkong" realm. It is under the general topic of "using talent to write Ci" that "qingkong" and "zhishi" (substantiality) share common ground, as both involve the use of rules, with the difference lying in the higher or lower level of their application methods.
"Ci Yuan" discusses the concept of "qingkong" and generally defines it within the realm of creative style, such as "not only qingkong but also sao ya," and "qingkong with intention and interest." The juxtaposition of "qingkong" with the aesthetic categories of "sao ya" and "intention and interest" indicates that they are interconnected yet distinct concepts.
Next, let's look at Zhang Yan's discussions on creative methods, such as using allusions without being driven by them, expressing the wind and moon, implying meaning beyond the words, and blending scenery and emotion. These demonstrate that "qingkong" is to remove all external forms of constraint and express oneself freely and directly. Both forms of "qingkong" discussed in "Ci Yuan" share these characteristics: Dongpo's Ci breaks free from all literary conventions, achieving an artistic realm where there are no traces of deliberation, like flowing clouds and water. Jiang Bai's Ci moves from strict rules to unrestrained creativity without violating them. The former is ethereal and emotionally vague, as Zhang Yan would say, "qingkong with intention and interest," while the latter is solitary like a cloud flying in the wild, elegant and sharp, containing much invisible human effort and poetic skill beyond the words, with emotions that are "not only qingkong but also sao ya."
When Zhang Yan discusses the two forms of "qingkong," he cites Jiang Bai's "Anxiang" and "Shuying," showing that "intention and interest" and "sao ya" are similar in some aspects. However, upon closer reflection, there are still some differences: First, "intention and interest" is a kind of emotional expression in the work, it is integrated and the imagery is vague, with high and low levels, high ones like Dongpo's and Jiang Bai's Ci, which are difficult for those without talent to reach; low ones like some lyrical poems of Zhou Bangyan, where the intention and interest are not lofty, even "what was originally pure and honest gradually turned into a frivolous style." Second, the emotions in "intention and interest" are vague and undefined, while the emotions in "sao ya" are often traceable. Dongpo and Jiang Bai's Ci are constrained by the "qingkong" technique, so the "intention and interest" they express are more ethereal and undefined, allowing different interpreters to have different feelings. In contrast, the emotions in "sao ya" can be ethereal or substantial, as in the Ci of Xin Qiji, where "scenery is intertwined with emotion, and sao ya is preserved."
So, what is the difference between the two forms of "sao ya" in Jiang Bai and Xin Qiji? From the perspective of creative style, Xin Qiji's Ci carries the legacy of the Han and Wei Dynasty Yuefu, while Jiang Bai's Ci achieves sao ya by fully exploring the characteristics of Ci. From the perspective of aesthetics, Xin Qiji wrote Ci without intention, focusing on literature and admonition, while Jiang Bai expressed his feelings about the times, often with a deep subjective color. Xin and Jiang were contemporaries, facing similar social realities. Xin Qiji expressed the feelings of "the setting sun is shining, and the willows are heartbroken" and the heroic patriotism of saving the nation; Jiang Bai expressed his feelings about "the fleeting times like this," and painted this emotion over everything he saw. Simply put: Xin Qiji's "sao ya" is concrete and tangible, while Jiang Bai's "sao ya" is vague and indeterminate.
According to Zhang Yan's "Ci Yuan," there are multiple paths to "qingkong," and many methods to achieve "sao ya." "Qingkong" can be "sao ya," or it can be not; "sao ya" can be "qingkong," or it can be not. There is no inherent connection between the two, only that...