The Study Of Poetics About The Interpretation Of "the Book Of Songs" In Han Period

"The Book of Songs"is the important cultural classic of ancient China. It's also the main explained object to the Chinese ancient poetics and the source of its significance. Han period was the important period when the tradition of Confucian classics had been established and the theories of ancient Chinese Poetics had been founded. In Han period, the poetics theories were focusing on the interpretation of Confucian classics, more precisely, on the interpretation of"The Book of Songs". Understanding the problems of Han period's interpretation of"The Book of Songs"is not only a way to understand the Han period poetics, but also a key to understand the whole development process of ancient Chinese poetics.This paper is just based on such understanding. Now our academia holds that the people in Han period were so utilitarian that the literary value of"The Book of Songs"was ignored. In this paper, the first part"Introduction"explains the ideas and methods about studying"The Book of Songs"of Han period. It comes to the conclusion that to correctly evaluate the value and significance of the interpretation of"The Book of Songs", we must abandon the thinking mode that makes two sharply contrasting lines between Confucian classics and literature, guidance and aesthetics. Also, we must rebuild the historical context of the interpretation of"The Book of Songs", put the poetics theory into the history of pre-Qin and Han periods, and pay full attention to this context of history. Meanwhile, we should make our standpoint at the double meaning of knowledge and significance, and view the text of"The Book of Songs"from an open, multiple perspective and research about its theory. Only in this way can we correctly understand the reasonable value about the research of"The Book of Songs". The"Introduction"described the concept of"poetics". In ancient China, it had three concepts. The first meaning is that"poetics"is the studying of"The Book of Songs", a branch of the studies of Confucian classics. The second meaning of"poetics"is a narrow understanding, as the poetry theory building on the lyrical style. The third meaning is in a broad sense, referring to the whole literary theory. The concept of poetics we used in this book is also in a broad sense, referring to the whole ancient Chinese literary theory. However, after the analysis of the source and background of the concept of poetics in ancient China, it's not difficult to discover that the cause and development of ancient Chinese poetics also have much to do with the understanding about the essential characteristics of poetry lyrics. So ancient Chinese Poetics can be also considered as the universal significant theory established on the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"and the interpretation of the narrow sense of poetry.The paper consists six chapters. The first chapter explores the relationship between poetics in Han period and the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"before Qin period. The exploration tries to show that the forming of the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"and the method of poetics in Han period is not only determined by the poetics in Han period itself. It gets a tremendous impact from that in pre-Qin period and is the logical result of the development and evolution of pre- Qin period poetics. Specifically, the tradition of political context in Spring and Autumn-Period has much to do with the formation of moral and political poetics in Han period. The perspective of Confucius, Mencius, Xunzi on the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"had made a direct impact on the poetics of Han dynasty. Confucius attached much importance to the music and political introduction. Mencius justified"The Book of Songs"with virtue and moral. He also brought out the perspective of"Zhi Ren Lun Shi"and"Yi Yi Ni Zhi". XunZi used the poems to certificate ceremony."Confucius on Poetry"understood the relationship between"temperament"and"propriety". These all had much to do with the poetic of Han dynasty, such as TongJingZhiYong, combining poetry and history, feeling and ceremony, and the important function about the political and moral value of"The Book of Songs".In the second chapter, we study the overall tendency of explanations to"The Book of Songs"that explained the relation between the tendency of"The Book of Songs"and poetics itself with studies of Confucian classics and history in Han dynasty, by combining political, ideological, historical and cultural factors. From the tendency of Confucian classics point, it's dominated by Confucian classics in Han dynasty, so the poetry was generated from the context of Confucian classics. The formation of using"The Book of Songs"to explain the language context and background with Confucian classics not only reflected political philosophy and the need for a unified, but also presented the spirit of the literature and the pursuit of moral ideas. In the explanations of the language context of Confucian classics, it contained some fundamental discrete concepts such as"road"and"momentum","intelligence"and"ceremony","culture"and"using"and so on, which reflected great importance to the functions of politics and ethics attached by poetics of Han dynasty, but this does not mean that it will put Confucian classics and literature, the fundamental political and aesthetic on opposite sides. After all,"The Book of Songs"is the text of poetry. No matter how"The Book of Songs"scholars explain classics, and stress"poems"moral and political role, they must face the"poetry"itself, and its aesthetic quality and content. In fact,"The Book of Songs"explained in Han dynasty made great progress in the literature aesthetic interpretation compared with this interpretation at the period in Pre-Qin dynasty. From a historical aspect of resolving the"poems", the prominent tendency of"The Book of Songs"explained in Han is the"poetry"of history, that is to say, explain"The Book of Songs"with historical ideas. This trend is most prominent in the interpretation by Mao Heng. To such a tendency, many academic critics argued that there is no historical basis, and it's just a violation of"poem'meaning it actually has. However, this paper holds it's impossible to truthfully understand the relation among poetry, author and the times without Mao Heng's interpretations, and his interpretation also deepened the understanding of the laws of evolution for the origins poem. Furthermore, Mao Heng's interpretation reveals the function of presentation, describlation, consciousness of phenomena and situation, so that people can better understand the development of historical process of Chinese poetry.The poem issues of"The Book of Songs"which belong to the studies of Confucian classics are explained in the third chapter. The studies of Confucian classics are the main explanation of"The Book of Songs"in Han. This explanation led to a number of important issues of Poetic Theory and it was divided into two parts: the present studies of Confucian classics and the one in classical Chinese. The explanation of the former to the"The Book of Songs"has three perspectives in which"QiShi'and"DongZhongshu"are regarded as the main ones. However, the later treated"MaoShi"to be its main representative. This chapter will first talk about the former. The discussion has two parts. The first part is to explore the relationship between the basic ideas as well as the faith and the present studies of Confucian classics'explanations. The paper considers the basic faith of the present studies of Confucian classics as the norms of"space"and the core which established induction mode of thinking beings. The learners of the studies of Confucian classics make their explaination to"The Book of Songs"continue in the guide of this faith and thinking mode."QiShi"reflected the faith of those learners and the most essential things of the explaination to the"The Book of Songs". That is according to the links between space and human, discussing"The Book of Songs"with"YinYangWuXing", and"Calamity", or with"QingXing". So it's the main part of this paper. The second part is to explore the issues of Poetic Theory of the studies of Confucian classis. It includes three problems. The first one is to talk about"The Book of Songs"with"QingXing". The understanding"QingXing"of the present studies of Confucian classics developed on the basis of"QingXing"theory in Pre-Qin period. Its significance lies in its high views of unique philosophy of YinYang and TianRenHeYi, and contacts human"QingXing"with the one of the world. In this way, it deepens people's understanding of the"Poetry"of the"QingXing"of"The Book of Songs". The paper also takes"SiShu","WuJi","LiuQing","ShierLv"in"QiShi"as examples, analyzed the theoretical significance of the way that talks about"The Book of Songs"with"QingXing". It believes that this way is a little mysterious and political, even considers"The Book of Songs"as a tool for political indoctrination, it also noticed the blending links between"Sky"and"Human"which emphasize the function of"QingXing"in the explanation to the"The Book of Songs", and injected new elements into it. The second problem is to talk about"The Book of Songs"with Calamity theory. This method is the most common tendency for the learners of the present studies of Confucian classics. Its formation had close relations with the Calamity theory expounded by Dong Zhongshu. We couldn't deny this tendency simply with"theological superstition"and political utilitarianism. The ethics tendency and the spirit of criticism of the reality included in it should also be noticed. This character made the implication of"The Book of Songs"accord with the nature law and considered"The Book of Songs"to be a warning and scolding by nature to the ruler's politics without virtue and morality. Although it runs a risk of making the literary and artistic value of"The Book of Songs"down to the ghost, it implies that the status of"The Book of Songs"has improved and expanded the mission and function of it. The idea that the learners of the present studies of Confucian classics discusses"The Book of Songs"with Calamity theory. But in contrast, the former concentrates more attention and emphasis on the satirical spirit of"The Book of Songs"as well as the function of the critics to the reality. In addition, according to"Omen", we study"poem", with strategies and the methods of interpretation, including the"YiLeiXiangZhao"and"JiaJingSheYi, YiTuoXiangLei"and connected with thinking of re-Ancient China enhancing"Xiang", enhancing intuition analogy which understand formation of the Chinese Ancient Literature concepts and ways of thinking, in a certain sense. The third, the Poetry without texts is the poetry proposition which the scientists suggested and made the greatest impact on future generations. Understanding this proposition, one wonders from more modern literature and poetics position, regards it as an acceptable literature related to the topic of literature and poetry. In fact, the proposition and the formation are closely related to the position of which scientists studied"The Book of Songs", its significance for ancient Chinese poetry should be understood from this position and even in the sense of the interpretation of the poem from classical to the core. It contains more attention not only to be aware of differences and understanding and explaining the initiative of the main recipients of thinking. We should see more study of the text on the screen which encapsulates the vision, thinking on the study of ancient Chinese poetics and owned by the powerful forces of inertia.The fourth chapter discusses the poetics about interpretation of"The Book of Songs". The interpretation of"MaoShi"mentioned in the paper, not only refers to"MaoShiGuXunZhuan"written by MaoHeng. It's an interpretation system composed of"MaoShiXu","MaoShiGuXunZhuan", ZhengFa". Of course,"MaoShi"is of much importance. After the three poets, it had dominated the academic world for about 2000 years. So its theoretical significance for ancient Chinese poetic especially can't be underestimated. Compared with the present studies of Confucian classics,"MaoShi"paid more consciousness to uphold the spirit of Confucian poetic."MaoShi"also tried to approach the truth of text and history. The first section in this chapter discusses the style and method of the interpretation of"MaoShi"to"The Book of Songs". The characteristics of this style and method is that it's guided by the key of"Introduction", based on the text interpretation, then supplemented with the"Annotations"by Zheng Xuan. This study intends to show that"MaoShi", as the first and authoritative interpretation system of"The Book of Songs", is of much reason. Compared with predecessors,"MaoShi"showed more respect for the original text, retained more primitive information about the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"and had a more careful and precise method. Therefore, we can't consider it as a subjective interpretation composed of moral teachings, Confucian and political service. So we can't easily negate it. The second section discusses the poetics about the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"."Convert"is at first the core problem in the interpretation of"MaoShi"to the"The Book of Songs". At present academics consider"convert"in"MaoShi"with a political sense and utilitarian view, while the paper holds that we should consider it with the significance of humanities."MaoShi"expressed"convert"deriving from the male and female couples, combined the pursuit of the good will with the Confucian custom and political introduction. The rulers were included into the scope of convert. Therefore, the convert mentioned in"MaoShi"not only constituted a correctional system, but also expressed a wide humanity spirit. Then the problem of feelings is followed. Since the birth of"The Book of Songs", Confucian poetic had got an inherent topic. That is to say, poetic comes from feelings. It can't be separated from feelings. Although it's suspected that the convert is put more important than fun and the convert is too rational and political, great importance is still attached with the feeling."MaoShi"understood the convert with feeling and"ShiDaXu"was a crucial factor. Its understanding about the emotional nature and function of"The Book of Songs"showed that compared with pre-Qin, much progress had been made about the emotional issues. Particularly, these poetry propositions, such as"YinYongQingXing","ZaiXinWeiZhi, FaYanWeiShi", united feeling and inclination to make people really go beyond the perspective of"ShiYanZhi"in pre-Qin and be conscious of the crucial significance of feelings in poetry writing."ShiXiaoXu","MaoZhuan","ZhengFa"also attached great importance to the feeling on understanding"The Book of Songs", which deepen people's understanding of the feeling content and characteristics of art. Another problem is"BiXing". There were two meanings of"BiXing"in"MaoShi". The first one considers"Bi"and"Xing"as equivalents."Xing"is also"Bi'. It paid much attention to the thorn satires and moral cultivation of"BiXing". In the second meaning, it paid much attention to the development of the sense of life about"Xing". In emphasizing the function of"BiXing", a pro-linked emotion between human and nature is grown. Actually, this concept includes the political and aesthetic contradictions in ancient Chinese poetry. The interpretation of"BiXing"in"MaoShi"makes a key link in"BiXing"poetic and has a significant impact on the formation of Chinese poetic theory and the mode of thinking. At last, the paper discusses the problem of"telepathy"and"talking about'The Book of Songs'according with times". The so-called telepathy has two-fold meanings. Firstly, there is the induction between man and nature. The universe is considered as a natural induction, having the same feelings with human life. The other is the induction between man and community. It holds that there should be also a sense of induction in the field of human relationships. Induction is linked to"talking about'The Book of Songs'according with times". It also includes two aspects. One is the induction between human and natural season, the other is the human suffering in social community. The induction and"talking about'The Book of Songs'according with times"shows that the interpretation of"MaoShi"to the"The Book of Songs"not only serves politics and moral, but also has a recognition of life and the grief of times.Chapter V is to discuss the explanation of"The Book of Songs"and poem concept by Fu family system."The Book of Songs"of Han explanation can be divided into two parts which are studies of Confucian classics and Fu family system. At the same time, since the HanXue is absolutely dominated in Han dynasty, this distinction is just relative. In fact, there is an extensive coherence between them, because they both take poetry as a kind of expostulation and a political tool to make people civilized. However, the explanation of"The Book of Songs"by Fu family system engendered in the background of the increasing literatures and literary creation. Moreover, their unique destiny, ideology and experience of creation make the explanations different from the scholars of Confucian classics, which is reflected in these propositions such as SiMaQian's"harder for the'poems'", BanGu's"a non-its meaning"and"taking a custom view of Poems", YangXiong's"ShiRenzhiFu"and"CiRenzhiFu"etc. in the thesis, we firstly discuss SiMaQian's viewpoint ----"harder for the'poems'", which is reflected to the critical tradition of"The Book of Songs"from pre-Qin to Han dynasty. But at the same time, the viewpoint makes a new progress that it fixes the emotional expression of"The Book of Songs"on discontent and indignation. So it may give prominence to the value that human life can be reflected by literature and give more attention to the expression of individual emotion. Secondly, we'll discuss BanGu's"a non-its meaning"and"taking a custom view of Poems". The former's significance is that it's the first time to indicate the essence of"The Book of Songs"in the history and consequently promote awareness of the poetry's literary and aesthetic characteristics. And the latter combines the political indoctrination of poetry with aesthetics and fork-customs, so it opens a new view from fork-customs to explain poetry. Next we'll study YangXiong's"ShiRenzhiFu"and"CiRenzhiFu". Although still based on the context of Confucian classics, it pays attention to literator's identity and writing manner beside the traditional study of Confucian classics. So it has an important sense to establish literator's identity of classics poetry. Finally, we'll find out the relationship between the explanation of"The Book of Songs"and HanFu'ChuCi criticism. It holds that the establishment and norm of academic language and criticism in HanFu and ChuCi are closely related to the interpretation to"The Book of Songs". Understanding Fu and Sao according to the"The Book of Songs"are the basic characteristics in the criticism of HanFu and ChuCi. It convincingly shows that the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"as the central criticism in Han had much influence on future generations.In chapter VI, which is the last chapter, we discuss the meaning and impact about explanation of"The Book of Songs"in Han. This paper considers that the main meaning about the explanation of"The Book of Songs"in Han, lies in its settlement to the theoretical foundation and impact to thinking pattern of the ancient Chinese Poetry, and not depending on what are specific propositions and perspectives about poetry. In order to recognize the meaning and impact about the Han dynasty explanation about"The Book of Songs", we will have to exceed the concepts and positions, which only stress pure literary studies and make the aesthetic judgement as the aesthetic-based position to the explanation about"The Book of Songs", and we also have to exceed the opposition thinking made between the studies of Confucian classics and literature, between the culture and aesthetics. In the Poetry and the history of ancient Chinese literature, instead of aesthetic-based position, the leading literature conception is"WenJianZhongTi, MiLunQunYan", which has a close connection with the ancient Chinese classics. Political and morals, therefore engendering from the background of classics, Han's explanation to"The Book of Songs", which links classics and literature closely, has a universal significance to the production and development of the ancient Chinese literature conception and poetry theory. It doesn't consist that those specific proposition and views are brought out on the standpoint of the consciousness of literature and aesthetics. It meets the basic characteristics of the Chinese literature and mentality. It starts with the most deep-seated ideological motivation of Chinese Poetics and gives reasonable explanations to the problems people are concerned about. These problems are reflected in this paper like the language way of"YiJingLiYi","BiXing","Convert","Feelings","Induction"and the perspective of"Yi'Shi'Wei Shi".The paper has a central thesis. It holds that the Chinese poetics tradition, especially the traditional Confucian Poetics which occupy the dominant position in Chinese poetics, had a tremendous impact on the interpretation of Confucian classics. But it does not mean that we will deviate Chinese poetics from the track of literature. Since Han period, Chinese poetry had attached great importance to the political enlightenment and moral tradition. Also it doesn't mean that the aesthetic value of literature is denied. Chinese poetics, especially the Confucian Poetry were formed in the historical context of the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"in Han period and in the interaction between Confucian classics and literature, guidance and aesthetic. Therefore, in the"Conclusion"we bring out the problem how to understand ancient Chinese poetics on the relationships between Confucian classics and literature, guidance and aesthetic. It's considered as a key to correctly evaluate and understand the value of the theory about the interpretation of"The Book of Songs"in Han period.