Tang Dynasty Poetry: Exploration and Innovation _ Series of Research on National Studies

Author: Meng Erdong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-03-01
Features: Innovation and transformation are the main creative trends of Tang Dynasty poetry. This paper takes this as its theme, attempting to conduct an in-depth and systematic study of the overall characteristics of mid-Tang poetry and the reasons for its formation against the broad cultural background of mid-Tang. In the introduction, it emphasizes the important position of mid-Tang poetry in the history of Chinese poetry. By briefly reviewing the Tang Dynasty poetry of the mid-Tang period, it points out the dilemma faced by mid-Tang poets—“difficulty in following the peak” and the necessity of exploring new paths in poetic creation.
Chapter 1 discusses the sociocultural background of mid-Tang poetic creation. First, it examines the social atmosphere of mid-Tang and its causes. The political dangers, corrupted social customs, and callous human relationships fostered abnormal social psychology. Second, it explains how widely spread religious thought and culture, while challenging the traditional Confucian position, also infused new vitality into the development of traditional culture. Finally, it points out the role of the revival of classical prose, the rise of romance and, the transition of ci poetry from folk creation to literary creation, and the development of painting and calligraphy in shaping the trends of mid-Tang poetry.
Chapter 2 focuses on the innovative spirit of mid-Tang poets and the numerous schools and styles of mid-Tang poetry. Although the methods and approaches for innovation and transformation varied, the poets’ subjective pursuits were consistent. The sociocultural background of mid-Tang (such as the division of the state by warlords, factional struggles, the flaws of the imperial examination system, and personnel policies) provided objective conditions for the emergence of poetic groups and also prompted the formation of poetic schools with distinct styles.
Chapter 3 conducts a comprehensive comparison of the aesthetic tastes, emotional tones, atmospheric realms, and artistic styles of mid-Tang and mid-Tang poets, thereby illustrating the main characteristics of the transformation in mid-Tang poetry. Mid-Tang poetry is characterized by a tone of hesitation, melancholy, lament, and sorrow, with restrained atmosphere and narrow artistic conception. Mid-Tang poets either refined and decorated their poetry, pursuing the unity of elegant language and profound charm; or valued simplicity and authenticity, seeking straightforward and unadorned styles; or revered the extraordinary and the bizarre, pursuing the artificial beauty of “pen.” These all stand in stark contrast to mid-Tang poetry. The revival of the poetic style of the Qi and Liang dynasties in mid-Tang is a noteworthy phenomenon. Jiaoran’s explicit theoretical advocacy reinforced the trend of returning to the Qi and Liang period. The deliberate pursuit of innovation in poetic art was a shared characteristic of poets in both the Qi-Liang and mid-Tang periods. However, mid-Tang poets imitated the Qi and Liang without being confined by them. For example, Wang Jian’s “Palace Terms” and Li He’s “Folk Songs” both created distinctive mid-Tang styles.
Chapter 4 focuses on the influence of religion on the transformation of mid-Tang poetry. During the mid-Tang period, popular religions, particularly Buddhism and Taoism, profoundly influenced people’s lives and thoughts. Many literati, including Confucians who claimed to uphold the Confucian tradition, were influenced by religious thought and cultural. This chapter explains how religion not only directly affected the worldviews, life philosophies, epistemologies, and methodologies of poets, giving them the opportunity to understand the universe, life, and self from a new perspective, but also infused new vitality into their poetic creation. Their poetry exhibited novel and extraordinary characteristics in artistic imagination, artistic conception, the formation of artistic imagery, and other aspects, setting it apart from mid-Tang poetry.
In summary, mid-Tang poets, nurtured by the era’s atmosphere, broke through the “difficulty in following the peak” with extraordinary courage and vision. After the peak of mid-Tang poetry, they pioneered new paths, demonstrated new aesthetic styles, brought about a “renewed peak” to the poetic scene, and left a profound impact on later generations.