Yang Weizhen and Literary Trends in the Late Yuan and Early Ming

Author: Huang Rensheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-09-01
Features: This book selects the important writer Yang Weizhen of the late Yuan Dynasty and early Ming Dynasty as a case study subject and conducts a systematic and in-depth research on him. From his political attitudes and ideological tendencies to his personality and literary beliefs, as well as from his poems, odes, and vernacular essays to his qu and fiction, it explores them in detail. This is a work that provides a comprehensive and thorough discussion of Yang Weizhen's literary thought and creative practice. The book connects the changes in social consciousness and literary trends since the early Yuan Dynasty, primarily focusing on Yang Weizhen's activities and influence as the central thread, to deeply explain the process and reasons behind the literary trends of the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties. As a leader of the literary scene in the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties, Yang Weizhen dedicated his life mainly to the innovation of traditional literary forms such as poems, odes, and vernacular essays. He was the most accomplished poet and master of odes in the Yuan Dynasty. Particularly in the field of poetry, he advocated the ancient Yuefu movement and, leading the way, formed a large-scale "Iron Yaya" poetic school. This pushed Yuan Dynasty poetry creation to its climax. At the same time, facing the burgeoning drama, qu, and fiction of the Yuan Dynasty, he also gave enthusiastic attention and support in theory, and achieved outstanding results in qu creation. The theoretical propositions and creative achievements of Yang Weizhen and his school provided a brilliant summary of the development of Yuan Dynasty literature and directly opened up a new chapter in early Ming literature, indirectly influencing the theory and creation of literature in the middle and late Ming and Qing Dynasties. The book connects the changes in social consciousness and literary trends since the early Yuan Dynasty, primarily focusing on Yang Weizhen's activities and influence as the central thread, to deeply explain the process and reasons behind the literary trends of the late Yuan and early Ming Dynasties.