Lyrical and Descriptive: An Introduction to Six Dynasties Poetry

Author: Sun Xiangyi (USA), translated by Zhong Zhenzhen
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-01
Features: The literary style of an era is composed of extremely complex factors. In the interaction and complementarity between tradition and individual creativity, literature gradually reveals its diversity. In analyzing the poetry of the Six Dynasties period, the author selects "expression" and "description" as literary factors to serve as reference points for examining the styles of individual poets. This is primarily because, in the early 1980s in American literary criticism, "description" was a key focus for many critics. As the trend gradually moved toward postmodernism, people began to pay particular attention to the various meanings of visual experience. This focus also directly contributed to the interest of literary scholars in "description." The interaction between tradition and individual creation is the central theme of this book. The five poets discussed in the book all sought to connect their lyrical expressions with past models as they developed their personal styles.