Research on the Evolution of Poetry between the Tang and Song Dynasties - Focusing on the Creative Influence of Yuan Bai's Yuanhe Style

Author: Liu Ning
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-09-01
Features: This book not only proves the "civilization of scholars" through a large number of historical facts but also closely links this transformation with scholars' creation, explaining the formation of the characteristics of the "Yuanhe Style." The author argues that the reflective and introspective rational temperament revealed in Yuan Bai's poetry reflects a new personality trait, largely derived from their rational understanding of the civil service political system. This sense of the civil service system gradually strengthened after the mid-Tang period, deepening scholars' rational understanding of politics and promoting a more rational and introspective spiritual outlook among them. When examining the influence of the "Yuanhe Style," the author also pays special attention to its role as an intermediary between the "Yuanhe Style" and the late Tang style. They note that Bai Juyi's central position in the late Tang court poetry circles significantly influenced the court scholars with the "Yuanhe Style." This, in turn, demonstrates the universality of this sense of the civil service system through the court scholars' reception of Bai Juyi. The author further analyzes the spiritual temperaments of poets like Du Mu and Xu Hun, who held positions in prefectures and military households, pointing out that their ideal temperament clashed with the negative institutional consciousness of Bai Juyi and others, which was the fundamental reason for their rejection of the "Yuanhe Style." This further illustrates the distinct characteristics of the sense of the civil service system through contrast. The bureaucratization of military household scholars in the late Tang and Five Dynasties, along with its negative development, further proves the gradual strengthening of the sense of the civil service system. These insights represent a significant advancement over previous studies on similar topics, fully demonstrating the complexity and continuity of scholars' development from the mid-Tang to the Five Dynasties.
Because the book clearly traces the influence of Yuan Bai's "Yuanhe Style" from the mid-Tang to the Five Dynasties, the final chapter on the evolution of the early Song poetry scene gains unprecedented persuasiveness. Regarding the early Song poetry scene, some influential works have emerged in the new era, but there are also differing views. However, no one has explored the historical development and expressive characteristics of the several popular poetic styles in early Song from the perspective of their origins. The author's discussion of this issue is thus a natural culmination of previous research. With the sources and developments clarified, the relationships between the "Bai Style," "late Tang Style," and "Yuanhe Style" in early Song, as well as the connections and distinctions between early Song satirical poetry and the "Yuanhe Style," become easier to explain. More importantly, the significance of Ouyang Xiu's advocacy for simplicity and innovation in prose and poetry is reevaluated from the perspective of poetic history, and various divergent views can also be resolved.