On Academic Source And Poetry Theory Of Weng Fanggang

Probing in the poetry thoughts of Weng Fanggang, a scholar of Qing dynasty, thispaper aims to present the connotation of the official poetry theory of the period ofEmperors Qianlong and Jiaqing, discuss the impact on the poetry circles of the timegiven by the integration of the officials and scholars. Based on the analysis on the JiLiTheory of Weng Fanggang, this paper explains its content relating to poetry art,summarizes the role and status of this teaching-concentrated poetry theory at that time,analyzes the two ancient poetry theories of different dimensions: poetry theory andpoetry teaching and ponders the different applicable scopes of teaching practice andtheory study. As well, the paper expects to give certain reference to present academicstudies.The academic circles before induced Weng's poetry theory from his works such as"On Verve", "On Pattern", "Study On Poems" starting with the studies on WengFanggang's poetry theory from the explanation of the word "texture". Drawingsupport from Weng's "Suzhai Notes" and proceeding from the Weng's Confucianclassic works, this paper brings to light Weng's real academic level and source ofWeng's Neo-Confucianism (Lixue) thought, and restores Weng's status from a scholarof Confucian classis to Educational Inspector of three provinces. Finding the bigdivergence of views on the ways of learning poem composition between Weng andWang Shizhen from "The Elite Of Yuyangshanren's Poem" with Weng's remarks, thispaper proves that it's not Weng's sincere expression to make up the vacancy ofShenyun by texture theory. Making use of the Weng's comments on the collections ofpoems of Qian Zai, Li E and Zha Shenxing stored in Shanghai Library, this paperillustrates the exquisiteness and delicateness on poetry theory details of texture theory.This paper also expounds the origin of "smooth and dense texture" thought with aid ofWeng's explanation ofDu Fu's poem "Accidental Poem", and reveals the limitation ofJiLi theory through his association with young poets such as Huang Zhongze and WuSongliang. As well, this paper analyzes the aspect of personal disposition of Scholars'Poetry based on the induction of related materials of "Tianji Wuyun Tie" collected byWeng Fanggang.This paper concludes that Weng Fanggang didn't establish a poetry theory system,that the conception of texture has indistinctness in its original meaning and broadnessin its extensive meaning. Furthermore, the word "texture" can't cover theheterogeneous and abundant contents of Weng's comments on poetry theory. Breakingthe limit of the texture theory, this paper expects to debate the substances of this theory through overall collation of Weng's poetry theory.Without any predetermined standpoint, arguing Weng's poetry thought on the basis ofmaterials, with aid of the newly-found materials and deep reading of the old materials,through mutual confirmation and invention from the newly-found materials and oldones, this paper therefore draws the new conclusions.This paper consists of preface, four chapters of text and conclusion, briefings ofwhich are as follows:Starting from the summary of the history and current situation of this topic, thepreface raises the substantial train of thought and methods of creation of this paper, aswell, explains the innovation and study value of this topic.The first chapter is "Weng Fanggang's study on Confucian classics". Straighteningout Weng's thought on Confucian classics and methods of study, this chapter revealsWeng's motivation of cognizance of "different from other Confucians" and "not tochallenge Cheng and Zhu". Weng propagated the ways of study Confucian classis inthe status of Educational Inspector, prattled the style of study but breaking away fromthe academic study. Taking "Cheng and Zhu" as model, Weng reprimanded literaturediscrimination of Song school of classic philosophy as "Yi"(doubt about thecorrectness of Confucian classics), textual criticism of Han school as "Luan Jing"(muddling Confucian classics up), constraining the academic freedom and sprit ofinnovation, but encouraging the scholars to compose the text lead to good as YuanLiaofan's. This paper concludes that the academic and Confucian classic backgroundsof texture theory are of doubt."Yuyang complex in Weng Fanggang's poetry theory" is the second chapter. Thischapter is to argue the "refutation" aspect of Weng's poetry theory, which mainlypointed against verve Theory of Wang Shizhen. Weng didn't deny Wang's talent as apoet, but he didn't believe that giving full play of talent could be the normalconditions of poem creation. Exposing the tricks used by Wang piecing together theelegant words and expressions of YueFu poems into poems with seven characters to aline, Weng proved it's deceptive that Verve Theory concludes nature and elegance astop techniques of poem-creation; Weng also made out the malpractice of learning tocompose poems in guidance of verve Theory by analyses of collections of poems ofCheng Keze's (a friend of Wang) "Hairitang peotry". Therefore, Texture Theory andVerve Theory are essentially the differences between artificialness and naturalness,challenges from the school of techniques against the imagery school.The third chapter is "Poetry theory of leaming to create poems". This chapter is toargue the "establishment" aspect of Weng's poetry theory, explaining the staring pointand orientation of the texture theory. Quoting the word texture from Du Fu's poetry,taking human body as metaphor, Weng requested poets, on the basis of creationtechniques of "smooth and dense texture", to conceal artificialness under the surfaceof nature without any vestige. Taking the different outcome of Huang Tingjianmodeling himself after Du Fu and Wang Shizhen after Huang Tingjian as examples, it proves that only nimbly applying the poem-creation techniques of ancient poets cansurvive. That Weng commented Qian Zai as "pedant" and discontented with Li E's"most learned poem" showed there is a big gap between Weng's own viewpoint and"Scholar's poetry" summarized by later generations. Weng pointed out themalpractice of Zha Shenxing's "pull long", deleted posthumous manuscript of HuangZhongze, opposed Ouyang Xiu's thought of "raised skill after poverty", all the abovethree points showed that Confucian poetry education of "gentle and kind" had greatimpact on Weng. This impact stopped texture theory over the operation level,prevented the theory from theoretical expansion, and made it becoming apoetry-learning guide from mediocrities.Regardless his own stable official career, Weng doubted that he was the successor ofSu Shi. To explain this apparent split personality, taking Weng's political career andcollection course of "Tianji Wuyun Tie" of Su Shi as clues, Weng's understanding tothe lines of "Tianji Wuyun Tie" and Weng's inscription poems as basis, the fourthchapter "Was Weng the successor of Su Shi" analyses Weng's contradiction onhistoric relics research and personal favor to reveal the conflict between "Academicknowledge" and "temperament" in Weng's inner world.As the chief of the Northern China poetry circles in the period of Emperor QianLongand JiaQing of Qing Dynasty, Weng Fanggang played the role of poetry teacher in hisown times and had many followers and advocators. Weng's poetry commentsinvolved most of the important poets of the period from the establishment of QingDynasty to his day. Therefore, study on Weng's poetry theory, study methods andacademic source is of rather significance to the understanding to the literature, cultureand academic of the period of Emperor QianLong and JiaQing of Qing Dynasty, andthe investigation into the historical course of the inheritance and development ofancient Chinese poetry.Weng's works covered the most extensive contents among that of the contemporaryscholars and demonstrated the blend of scholarly research methods of multi-courses.Accordingly, study on Weng's poetry theory must be cross-disciplinary, so does thispaper.