Cultural Interpretation of Early and Mid-Tang Poetry

Author: Du Xiaoqin
Publisher:
Publish Date: July 1, 1997
Features: Compared to traditional studies on Tang poetry, this book's most significant feature is its strong historical and cultural awareness. This awareness is first reflected in its examination of the evolution of poetic forms and styles, the formation of literary circles, the inheritance and transformation of creative traditions, all from the perspective of the "historical-cultural" trends of the time. This approach, unlike previous studies that merely attached social as an external addition to literary works, identifies a "correlation" between the development of "historical-cultural" trends and the development of literary trends, mutually influencing and promoting each other.
Thus, the "General Introduction" part of the book first extracts two of the most important threads in the cultural transformation of the middle and late ancient period: the rise and fall of the scholar-official and commoner classes, and the integration of regional cultures. It reviews the cultural journey of early and mid-Tang poetry, revealing the historical origins of the cultural spirit contained in mid-Tang poetry.
What is even more noteworthy is that, in conducting comprehensive "historical-cultural" research, the author is not satisfied with merely borrowing the achievements of historians and cultural scholars. Instead, the author delves into primary materials, exploring historical issues that historians have either overlooked or not fully resolved, thereby providing deeper insights. As a result, although the book is a study of the history of Tang poetry, the author's discussions on topics such as the "cultural landscape of early Sui and Emperor Gaozu's cultural policies," the "role and status of Emperor Yangdi in the cultural integration of the north and south," the "formation of the He-Fen cultural spirit during the Sui-Tang transition," and the rise of the commoner class during the early Longshuo period all hold significant historical value.
To conduct a more in-depth and detailed study of the artistic evolution of early and mid-Tang poetry and the preconditions for the peak of mid-Tang poetry, the author of this book establishes the artistic connection between the poetry of the Northern and Southern Dynasties and the early and mid-Tang period, uncovering some previously overlooked yet important links in this segment of poetic artistic development. For example, the author delves into the literary-historical significance of the "literary transformation" during the early Longshuo period. It is argued that Xu Jingzong's "eulogy-style poems" and the "Shangguan style" fall within the scope of criticism by figures like Wang Bo and Yang Jiong. However, the style of their works, characterized by a lack of "spirit" and "vigor," actually reflects the inevitable personality traits of newly rising commoner scholars. Later, the "Four Masters of Early Tang" were able to reform this style, partly because they not only "valued literature" but also "emphasized Confucianism," thereby partially overcoming the dual shortcomings of the Longshuo literary group in terms of both personality and artistic spirit. (Page 212)
Another example is the author's examination of court poetry during Wu Zetian's and Zhongzong's reigns, where it is pointed out that the court poets of Wu Zetian and Zhongzong "consciously pursued grandeur and," which resonated with the "heroic" and "vast" themes in the works of the "Four Masters of Early Tang," collectively composing an overture to the "spirit and sound of mid-Tang poetry." (Page 259)
Additionally, the author argues that to truly understand the artistic origins of early and mid-Tang poetry, one cannot simply provide a brief overview of the development of earlier poetic arts before delving into early and mid-Tang poetry. Instead, a more in-depth exploration of the poetry of the Qi-Liang and Zhou-Sui periods is necessary. Because the author has conducted their own research on the immediate artistic developments of early and mid-Tang poetry, the book offers some novel insights into the stages of its artistic evolution. For instance, in Chapter 4 of the "Main Discussion" titled "The Sui Literary Scene: Unmerged but Intersecting with the Intersection of Northern and Southern Cultures," the author reveals that figures like Lu Sitao, Xue Daoheng, and Sun Wanshou during the Zhou-Sui transition made "the most prominent yet overlooked contributions to the formation of early and mid-Tang poetry" by consciously following the "Jian'an poetic style." (Page 126) Later, when discussing the artistic origins of Wang Jie's poetry, as well as the "fierce spirit" in the works of the "Four Masters of Early Tang" and the mid-Tang northern poets Gao Shi and, Du Xiaoqin emphasizes how, starting from Lu Sitao and Xue Daoheng's continuation of the "Jian'an legacy," passed through Wang Jie and the "Four Masters of Early Tang" for further development, and then further promoted by Zhang Yue's exile to Anyang, the spirit of mid-Tang poetry, characterized by "valuing spirit" and "seeking superiority in," ultimately became a widespread artistic pursuit among mid-Tang northern poets. This chain-like long-term development in poetic history.
The artistic progress of early and mid-Tang poetry and the formation of the artistic spirit of mid-Tang poetry are deeply intertwined with the cultural transformation of the middle and late ancient period during the Sui-Tang transition. The upper part of the book examines the cultural origins of the emergence and development of early and mid-Tang poetry from the perspectives of the rise and fall of the scholar-official and commoner classes and the integration of regional cultures, conducting a dynamic and diachronic study. The lower part, combining the trajectory of the transition from Northern and Southern Dynasties poetry to early and mid-Tang poetry, explores the profound and significant impact of the cultural transformation of the middle and late ancient period on the transformation of poetic art in stages and at multiple levels. The entire book combines meticulous historical research, unique textual analysis, and a macro-level grasp, providing an effective study for further understanding the mechanisms of early and mid-Tang poetry and gaining a profound grasp of the cultural spirit of mid-Tang poetry.