The Study On Poetry Of The Han Family Symbolized By Phoenix Trees

The Han family, with phoenix trees planted in front of the gate of its mansion asa symbol, was a political family of great eminence in the period of Northern andSouthern Song Dynasties. The great reputation established since the time of Duke ofLoyalty Han Yi,his eight sons made a noise in the world, lasted to that of Han Yuanjiand Han Hu after the southward retreat of Song Dynasty. The Hart family,experiencing several reigns from Emperor Zhenzong in Northern Song Dynasty toEmperor Ningzong in Southern Song Dynasty, came into being a big family ofnumerous members with great achievements as brilliant as stars. In the field ofliterature, members of the Han family have left considerable poems and prose. HanJiang and Han Wei wrote and replied in poems with Ou Yangxiu and Mei Yaochen.Han Wei was known for his "romantic temperament that was unique amongcontemporaries". Han Yuanji's "poetry form and prose pattern both inherited styles ofOu Yangxiu and Su Shi that surpassed his peers in Southern Song Dynasty".However, studies on the family and its literature are rarely seen. This thesis focuseson poetry of three figures of the Han family with most works left behind, i.e. Han Wei,Han Yaunji and Han Hu, trying to find out their creative features and theirrelationship with the family culture.This thesis is divided into four parts. The first part mainly deals with poetry ofHan Wei, who lived a leisurely life with wealth and rank. His old-style poems are plain and unsophisticated with little exaggeration; his regulated verses are finelycrafted showing primitive simplicity; his quatrains are fresh, lucid and lively; whilehis lyrics are elegant and graceful. The second part focuses on Han Yuanji's poetry.Han Yuanji was the fourth generation descendant of Hanwei, who cared much forstate affairs and the people's livelihood. He implied his ideals in old-style poems byvarious styles, while expressed his emotions in regulated verses which are natural,hearty and sincere. His quatrains are extempore with vivid images; and the style ofhis lyrics is either bold and unconstrained or clean and elegant. The third partanalyzes Han Hu's poetry. The second generation of the Han family after thesouthward retreat as he was, Han Hu lived an austere life in reclusion which differedfrom that of his grandfather, which resulted in unique features in his poetry style. Hisold-style poems mainly describe his reclusive life that enabled him time, space andstate of mind to observe changes of scenery around and comprehend the beauty of hissmall world and hence formed a high-hearted and unique style. Meanwhile, reclusionalso enabled him to describe the poverty in real life in a more authentic and detailedway. Speaking of eight-line regulated verses, his five-character regulated verses areconstrained in artistic conception, describing slightness of things in a subtle wayusing fine and quaint couplets; while his seven-character regulated verses are briskand fluent with no trivialness seen in five-character ones, resulting in a spacious andbright artistic conception. As for quatrains, his seven-character quatrains areparticularly characteristic. Some bear the simple and mild style in the period of lateTang Dynasty, while some employ expressions in poetry in Ci form which are hencegentle and lovely with a brisk flavour. Though his poems in Ci form are mostlysimple but elegant, solemn and stirring can be occasionally seen for he still had stateaffairs weighing on his mind while in retirement.On the basis of analyzing features of poetry works of Han Wei, Han Yuanji andHan Hu in different literature type, the final part of this thesis discusses the commonfamily features represented in their poetry creation under the background of familyculture. It is concluded that literature creation of members of the Han family shares three common themes, i.e. concerning for the state and the people, yearning forpastoral life and thinking of native countryside, which are closely related to familyeducation of dedicating to the service of the motherland, psychological compensationof high-ranking position and family history of vagrancy due to frequent transfer.Appreciation of beauty of quiet elegancy is a common aesthetic orientation in thefamily, for the family has advocated active creation for generations. Although poetryof all the family members are influenced by literature phenomenon and popular styleof the time, its literature style.still keeps consistency with the discreet and confidentfamily tradition which represents the traditional culture of central plains.