Original poem: A Glimpse into Poetry - Words on Poetry's Birthday

Author: None
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-06-23
Features: In the history of ancient China, the slogan of "reviving the past" sometimes contained progressive elements and at other times was entirely reactionary. For example, figures like Han Yu and Ouyang Xiu advocated for classical Chinese literature, ostensibly under the banner of "reviving the past," but in reality, they opposed the formalistic literary style of their time and sought to innovate in literary forms, thus introducing certain progressive elements. (While elaborating on the relationship between "literature" and "the Way," they naturally spread many remnants of feudalism. In contrast to this is the "reviving the past" of proponents of the "modern is inferior to the ancient" argument. Traditional proponents of this view, such as Ge Hong criticized, endlessly lamented things like "modern mountains are not as high as ancient mountains," and writers followed suit, advocating for "reviving the past" and dragging history's tail backward. This was, of course, entirely reactionary. Yuan Shi, the original poem by Ye Xie (1627-1703), is a work of poetic theory and criticism that explores the essence of poetic creation, primarily aimed at opposing the reactionary trend of reviving the past. Yan Yu, styled Yiqing and known as the, was a native of Shaowu (now part of Fujian) who never held official office in his lifetime. While he did not achieve outstanding success in poetic creation, his "On the Waves of" is an extremely important work of poetic theory. The book is divided into five sections: On Poetry, On Poetic Forms, On Poetic Methods, On Poetic Criticism, and Examinations, with the core as its central focus. Yan Yu's theory of poetry is grounded in its fundamental nature of "singing one's emotions," and the "Biography of Literary Figures in Fujian" also summarizes Yan's poetic theory as "eliminating praise and criticism, and solely pursuing the freedom of the spirit." The entire book makes no mention of the relationship between poetry and Confucianism or Taoism, nor does it discuss its function in politics or education, instead emphasizing the artistic nature of poetry and the emotional impact it creates on the human heart. This stands in stark opposition to the literary views of Confucian scholars and is highly noteworthy.