A Study On Chia-ying Yeh's Appreciation System Of Chinese Classical Ci And Poetry

Chia-ying Yeh is an expert who is famous for her study on Chinese classical poem, she has profound insights of the classical poetry and forms her own interpretation system of Chinese classical poetry with theories from the West. This thesis takes Chia-ying Yeh's interpretation of classical poems as the research object, through Chia-ying Yeh's precision of Chinese classical poems and Western Literary Theory to understand her "Xingfagandong," "Yaomiaoyixiu", appreciating method of "Chinese and Western Fusion" and so on, making clear that we can see the production and theoretical origins of Chia-ying Yeh's interpretation system of Chinese classical poems. Previous research of Chia-ying Yeh is mostly from the perspective of cross-culture. No one has yet come of Chia-ying Yeh's interpretation of classical Chinese poetry as a whole system of research. This thesis with the systemetic research focuses on the overall vision of the poetry of Chia-ying Yeh interpretation system.This thesis can be divided into 3 parts: Preface, Principle part including four chapters, Epilogue.Preface focuses on Chia-ying Yeh's academic career with the origin, as well as the current situation of Chia-ying Yeh's interpretation system. Chia-ying Yeh has been engaged in the study on Chinese classical poetry. She established a deep foundation on Chinese cultural heritage, and also knew the essence of the Western literary theory, and formed her unique perspectives and insights. Her study has had a very big impact in the academic community. Chia-ying Yeh academic sources is very valuable for the Chinese academic. She is influenced by Confucianism, Chinese classical poetry, Wang Guowei and Western theory. Her teaching experience of classical literature is also helpful to her academic achievement. So she has comprehensive understanding and reaches great achievement in her research field.The first chapter focuses on Chia-ying Yeh's insistence and inheritance from theoretical Chinese traditional poetics. Chia-ying Yeh's poetic theory is impacted by Zhang Huiyan and Wang Guowei's. In her view, Zhang Huiyan's "Bixingjituo" is particularly applicable to " Ci Poetry of ode", and Wangguowei's "Theory of Realm" is particularly applicable to "Ci Poetry of Song Lyrics". Chia-ying Yeh's theory is formed on the basis of the absorption of the ideas mentioned above.Chia-ying Yeh always has a sense of admiration with Wang Guowei, and Wang has had a profound impact on her. When Chia-ying Yeh talked about Wang Guowei's character in the book of "Wang Guowei and literary criticism", she not only analyzed his personality which was characterized with wisdom, passion, gloom and persistence of pursuing ideal, but also showed her admiration for him. As concerned with academic research, Chia-ying Yeh inherited and carried forward Wang Guowei's academic research methods, and on this basis she established her own system of interpretation of Chinese classical poetry. "The Theory of Realm" of Wang Guowei influenced Chia-ying Yeh's understanding of "Yaomiaoyixiu" of Ci Poetry. Wang Guowei's approach of fusion of Chinese and Western theory also influenced Chia-ying Yeh greatly and inspired the concept of Chia-ying Yeh's Poetics.Wang Guowei thought that the Chinese theory was lack of theoretical systems, and relied on Western theories' supplement. Western thought should be consistent with the traditional Chinese idea. In "Talk of the Chinese classical tradition" Chia-ying Yeh also pointed out that Chinese traditional criticism of classical poems required the Western theory to complement and expand, which is obviously inherited Wang Guowei's idea. Wang Guowei made western thought integrate into the Chinese traditional culture and opened a new way unprecedented, which has great significance to inspire Chia-ying Yeh on the methodology. In Chia-ying Yeh's view, When borrowing Western theories, we should not only know Chinese classical poems but also understand Western theories, so that traditional poetics can be developed.On the practice of criticism, Chia-ying Yeh showed that she would not have any limitations of Chinese and Western theories, and she just selected useful theory according to her needs. This opinion of "Chinese and Western Fusion" is influenced by Wang Guowei clearly.Chapter II talks about Chia-ying Yeh's theories and practices about classical poems' appreciation with Western theories.Chia-ying Yeh, in her books, has been repeatedly stressed on the idea to promote traditional Chinese poetics develop further at theory we should learn from Western theories to supply the traditional Chinese poetics. In Chia-ying Yeh's opinion, there are many agreements between traditional Chinese poetics and Western Literary Theories. By virtue of her Western Literary skills, she made inventive reflection and discussion about traditional Chinese poetics. The theory resources include: feminism, the new criticism, hermeneutics, semiotics, reception aesthetics and so on.In the use of Western Literary Theory, Chia-ying Yeh insisted her stand of Chinese and Western fusion, neither for the purpose of introduction of Western theories, nor to subvert the traditional Chinese poetics. She just uses the Western theories as references to make up for the shortcomings of Chinese traditional poetics. In the integration of such a comparison between different cultures, Chia-ying Yeh went with the idea of evaluation and reconfiguration of traditional Chinese poetics from a new perspective, to retain its essence, to exclude its unreasonable components, and look for a new growth point of the traditional Chinese Poetics, to establish Chinese classical poetry interpretation system in line with the current development of Chinese literary theory.At the reference of Western theory, Chia-ying Yeh used feminist literary criticism more, she used "androgyny" to explain "Huajianci" and to analyze it's euphemistic and implied aesthetic quality. Chia-ying Yeh thinks, "Huajianji" is male writers' unconscious female affection which was deeply hidden in their souls in amusement and word games. Because of the different status and psychology between man and woman, it is difficult for a man to say that he was insulted and abandoned. Male poets had to express their disappointed emotion by virtue of woman's mood. In the old Chinese society, there is "three cardinal guides and five constant virtues" ethical concepts. Because "demoted officials" and "abandoned woman" of Chinese traditional culture have a similar status, so when the male poets with the embodiment of women's role wrote Ci Poetry, they would unconsciously reveal the inexpressible feelings of a abandoned woman. This "bisexual personality" makes "Huajianci" elegant aesthetic qualities which are rich in sub audition."Close reading" of New Criticism influenced Chia-ying Yeh greatly. Chia-ying Yeh's research of poetry emphasized on appreciation word-for-word, from which she could appreciate rich connotations of Chinese classical poetry.Chapter III discusses that Chia-ying Yeh brought forward "Xingfagandong" on the basis of predecessors' academic achievements, and regarded the characteristics of "Xingfagandong" as the most important thing of Ci Poetry."Xingfagandong" is a core and hub in Chia-ying Yeh's interpretation system of classical Chinese poetry. In her view, "Xingfagandong" is a poetics concept rich in connotation, including works' creating, reading and enjoying. In Chinese literary history, the achievement of the Ci Poetry is unique, just because there is a continuous extension of vigorous life in the hearts of the Chinese nation."Xingfagandong" first appeared in Chia-ying Yeh's article of "Critical Theory and Practice in Renjiancihua". Since then she has dissertated "Xingfagandong" from different perspectives in" The relationship between 'The Theory of Realm' and traditional Chinese poetry in < Renjiancihua > ", " The relationship between image and emotion in Chinese classical poetry " and "Xingfagandong's characteristics and recite tradition in classical poetry ", etc. In Chinese traditional poetics, foreign object can induce inner emotion, which is regarded as fundamental motivation and element of poetry creation. "Xingfagandong" in poetry originates from sensitive and direct moving of inner heart when inner heart contacts foreign object, which became a main way expressing poets' emotion. A poet with sensitive feeling often writes poems rich in "Xingfagandong" because of natural change or life sorrow.Chia-ying Yeh thinks that poetry must have the sincerity and quality in order to trigger the reader's "Xingfagandong". If people set aside sincerity to talk about ethical values, poetry will create a chain reaction of hypocrisy between authors and readers. As a basic form of Chinese Poetry to express emotion, "Fu", "Bi", "Xing" are three ways through which poetry could express its vitality. The three have their respective strong points, and can not be neglected. As long as the author uses properly, they will be able to write good works, waking up the readers' deep session inside their lives.Chia-ying Yeh proposed creative concept of "Xingfagandong", which is different from orthodox literary standard. Orthodox literature advocated the concept of grand narrative and mainstream words. It claims that literature and art should encourage good, punish evil, be useful to education, assist political and so on. They promote the Confucian idea and advocate the political needs with obvious utilitarian color. Chia-ying Yeh thinks that not all works of literature must bear the moral and ethical value and meaning. So long as they have lively mind and concerns for all the things in the universe, there is life sentiment everywhere. This is also standard to measure poetry's aesthetic values. Chia-ying Yeh appreciated poetry with her own experience which widen thoughts of poetry's appreciating.Chapter IV focused on the "elegance", which is an aesthetic qualities of Ci Poetry proposed by Chia-ying Yeh. In her view, "Yaomiaoyixiu" refers to the beauty most suitable for detailed female, and for expression of the human soul in a deep implicit quality, which is most likely to wake up the readers' sense of spirit with the association.Chia-ying Yeh pointed out that the aesthetic quality of Ci Poetry is different from the poetry's. In traditional literary history, Ci Poetry is a result of changes in musical forms and syntactic change, but its inner quality is rarely emphasized. Chia-ying Yeh pointed out Ci Poetry not only is different in the form but also has a different connotation in emotional types and spiritual connotation. Poetry is to express the inner feeling that is the consciousness of people significant activities. Ci Poetry is popular in the streets at first. Because the music was beautiful, it attracted literati to write Ci Poetry themselves. Ci Poetry is their pastime games and the product of leisure. In this sense, Ci Poetry is most consistent with the non-aesthetic utilitarian character. This shows that Ci Poetry is different from poetry because it is not subject to ethical constraints and political indoctrination.Chia-ying Yeh has divided Ci Poetry's form in accordance with the history order into "Ci Poetry of Song Lyrics" in late Tang and early Song, "Ci Poetry of poem" in Northern Song, "Ci Poetry of ode" in late Southern Song. Chia-ying Yeh thinks that these three kinds of Ci Poetry do not have high strengths and weaknesses, but in summary the top works of the three types of Ci Poetry all has intriguing implication. Therefore, the Ci Poetry is not only inferior to poetry but also can demonstrate the authors' potential soul and initiate readers' rich association.On the basic of classification of Ci Poetry, Chia-ying Yeh borrowed Wang Guowei's idea and considered the aesthetic characteristics of Ci Poetry is "Yaomiaoyixiu". Chia-ying Yeh gave an explanation from the form and content of Ci Poetry: in form, rhythm of words forms this beauty; on the content, Ci Poetry is particularly concerned with love. The author inadvertently revealed the essence of the heart when creating. This two aspects formed Ci Poetry's aesthetic characteristics: " Yaomiaoyixiu"."Beauty of passive virtue" of Ci Poetry is deepening of "Yaomiaoyixiu". "Beauty of passive virtue" summarized aesthetic specialty including grave, gloomy, plaintive, tactful, elegant and gracious features. "It is referred to bearing of feeling, and insisting under repression. Although being weak, it is a kind of morality. "After several decades of unremitting efforts, Chia-ying Yeh grasps and uses western theory skillfully. Chia-ying Yeh's interpretation which got through the gulf between ancient times and modern times makes Chinese Classical Poetry characterized with modenity. It put forward a new measurement of value for the appreciation of Chinese Classical Poetry and provided the possibility for transforming thinking mode of literature.