Six Roam Poetry Study

The subject focuses on the study of one of important motifs in Chinese lyric poetry—"ji lu " or "homeless drift" . The research is ontological one or the intrinsic approach of literature, among which there is a distinctive and intensive theme: drifting. During the Six Dynasties, many scholars drifted about for many reasons like changing lodging, escape, relegation, seeking official position, business traveling or exile. As a result, the poems based on drifting prevailed. The drift-themed poems , accordingly, became one of significant type of poetries in the Six Dynasties and had a unprecedented impact on next generation with those numerous outstanding poets and abundant works. The research lays much emphasis on the awareness of home, of country, of group and of poetics exuded from the poems, revealing the unexplored areas of poems of drifting. While probing into the course of the origin and development of this kind of poems, the analysis of those representative writers is also made with regard to their way of roaming, their surroundings of living as well as their state of mind on production, which should be beneficial for the understanding of the Chinese poetics as a whole. So it is quite necessary to sort out and study the drift-themed poems in the Six Dynasties systematically.The drift-themed poems have made unique contribution to the Chinese poetics. They are much more valuable than many other themes of poetry, because these poems highlighted the most exuberant life of the poets and their most profound wisdom as well. Therefore, the study of the drift-themed poems in the Six Dynasties is very meaningful and fills in the blank of the study of theme and variety of the poetries in the Six Dynasties.The research on this subject not only explores the new field of the Six Dynasties poetry but also enriches the varieties of poetries under study. The thesis is outlined as following aspects:An analysis of the phenomenon of drift in Chinese literature is made in the Introduction. It is assumed that it is this prospective of drift phenomenon that throws more light on the study of the poetries in the Six Dynasties, through which the touching scene in the eyes of the drifter can be projected and their state of lonely existence can be fully known. Then, hundreds years of research on the drift-themed poems in the Six Dynasties is in retrospect.In the first chapter, firstly, the analysis of the literal meaning of two characters "JI" and "LV" is made. Secondly, it is hold that this voice of drift was not uttered only by one person but shared by the poets of all generations. Thirdly, the meaning of the formation of this kind of poetry is discussed. At last, the definition of the drift-themed poems is made.The second chapter, firstly, traces the origin of this exile poems, which involves the exiled journey and poems quoted in such literature classics as the BOOK of Odes, the Songs of Chu , the Poems of Su Shi and Li Ling, Nineteen Ancient Poems . Then, the causes of the birth of drift-themed poems are analyzed. That is, one cause is the chaos times and the other is those scholars' mobile living style .The third chapter centers on the study of the individual cases, including Wang Can in Jian' an period of Han Dynasty, Lu Ji in Jin dynasty, Pao zhao in Song dynasty and Yu Xin and Wang Bao , both of whom lived in the transition period of South dynasty into North dynasty . It can be said that each individual represent a unique type of lonely traveling.The fourth chapter discusses the mentality of the traveling poets. Staying in a strange land keeps disturbing the peacefulness of drifters' minds, provoking the grievance in the privacy of their thoughts. The drift of one writer is different from non-drift literature and even for the works by the same writer, the works vary from pre-drift and post drift, which are mainly reflected by the poet' s mentality in roaming, that include the sighs for isolation from their beloved, the endless homesick, the frustrated personal experience and the change of their political roles and their sadness and grievance. To sum up, the poems of this kind try to show the process of the poets' downfall and struggle against the hardships of their life. The fifth chapter deals with the lyric way of the drift-themed poems which can be summed up as the followings: firstly , in a way of mounting the high place ; second, in a way of literary quotation ; third , in a way of uttering voice ; fourth , in a way of wondering life like the fluttering pennant or flying rootless weedsThe sixth chapter discusses the relationship between the drift-themed poems and Chinese poetics. It is argued that the drift is the driving force of the poetry creation, by which the drifting-themed poem is to express the sadness and grievance, that the poems have great impact on the poetries in the Dang dynasty.The homeless drifting forced the poets in the Six Dynasties to live in alien lands and accordingly developed a special state of existence. The study of the poems , to some extent links the birth place of the poets with the place where he grew up and the place where he served for the court and with himself, wakening the hidden consciousness of his hometown and of the alien land .So the mental change of the poet in the process of the transition of space and time can be examined three-dimensionally . The research emphasizes the exposure of the richness of those poets' inward world , focusing on their living conditions in an alien land. As a cultural phenomenon, the study of the drift-themed works should not concentrate on its pure literature aspect but add such components like sociology, ethnic, physiology, etc. So the essay laid much emphasis on the penetration and influence of various cultural factors. The reason why the homeless drift and poets are inseparable is that it is the combination of both that creates the soul-stirring works. Otherwise, the end of drift means the becoming dull of the poem. In this sense, literature is in need of exile indeed.