The Study On Xuanti Poems From The Southern Song To The Yuan Dynasty

"Xuanti poems" refer to five-character poems of the Wei,Jin,Northern and Southern Dynasties included in the anthology Selections of Refined Literature compiled by Xiao Tong.In the Southern Song Dynasty,“xuanti” and “xuanshi” —both referring to this poetry genre—frequently emerged in poetics as well as commentary on poets and poetry,which is noteworthy in the literature world.Contemporary scholars have overwhelmingly focused on reception history and studies on the Selections of Refined Literature during the Song and Yuan Dynasties.Thus,a gap in research remains in analysing the development of “xuanti poems” during the Song and Yuan Dynasties from a stylistic perspective.This paper has been informed by poetics as well as commentary on poets and poetry written in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.The discussion will be centred on the famous scholar official Zhu Xi’s theories on “xuanti poems” and his compositions adopting the poetry style.By analysing Zhu Xi’s account of the history of classical Chinese poetry and his studies on different styles of “xuanti poems”,the paper seeks to unpack the influence of his theories from the end of the Song Dynasty to the end of the Yuan Dynasty.The focus,in particular,will be placed on later generations of neo-Confucian elites who followed Zhu Xi’s path.The attempt is to shed light on how Zhu Xi had enlightened scholars in the Yuan Dynasty to revive poems of the Tang Dynasty—a trend called “zongtang degu”—and how he influenced the development of bianti theory in the Ming Dynasty.The introduction will mainly cover the background of selecting the topic,the concept of “xuanti poems”,and current studies on the development of “xuanti poems” in the Song and Yuan Dynasties.With extensive existing research on the study and reception of the Selections of Refined Literature in the Song Dynasty,and on Zhu Xi,who revived ancient poetry aesthetics in his works,there is still room for research on “xuanti” studies and on classical poetry adopting “xuanti” from a stylistic perspective.The first chapter will present the development of “xuanti poems”in the Song Dynasty.Following the Tang Dynasty,the early Song Dynasty continued to emphasise the Selection of Refined Literature.Yet the mid to late Song period saw its importance dwindle given the impacts of the imperial examination and factional conflicts.In the Southern Song Dynasty,driven by the need to shift away from undesirable influences from the Jiangxi School of Poetry and the so-called“Jianghu School”—a loosely defined non-mainstream poetry style,“xuanti” and poems from the Selections of Refined Literature were frequently cited in poetics of different schools of poetry.In chapter two,the discussion will highlight Zhu Xi’s theories on“xuanti poems” and his compositions adopting the poetry style.The trajectory of Zhu Xi’s theories and works—often described as “sanbian sandeng” —coupled with his commentary on poets in Wei and Jin Dynasties,provide insight into his understanding of the history of classical Chinese poetry,in particular,his views on five-character poems.This is demonstrated in Zhu Xi’s own compositions of “xuanti poems”,which are characterised by a lyrical and non-melodramatic style.Proceeding to chapter three,theories of “xuanti poems” from the late Southern Song Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty will be discussed.In the late Southern Song Dynasty,Zhu Xi’s poetics had been advocated by his followers at the time,including Wang Bai and He Ji.During the succeeding Yuan Dynasty,the revival of ancient poems synthesised legacies in the Song and Jin Dynasties.With neo-Confucianism elevated to state orthodoxy,and as neo-Confucianism elites started to emphasise literature,Zhu Xi’s poetics,along with his philosophy,became ever more popular.Building on his achievements,later generations of neoConfucian scholars,represented by renowned thinkers Wu Cheng and Yu Ji,enriched the meaning of zongtang degu and the bianti theory.Such efforts had laid the foundations for poetry theories in the Ming Dynasty.