Zhang Heng Poetry Study

As an eminent scientist, thinker, and writer in middle period of Eastern Han Dynasty, Zhang Heng has the remarkable status in the Han Dynasty and even in the whole history of China. This dissertation is a more comprehensive research on Zhang Heng's writings from all perspectives in an attempt to show that Zhang Heng's writings have rich cultural infiltration and function as transitional medium in the long history of Chinese ancient literature. The dissertation consists of six chapters including the Introduction part.The introduction part elaborates significance of topic selection and the research methods and makes a general literature review about Zhang Heng studies. The past researches about Zhang Heng's writings place more value on his writing by collections, comments and notes. In the modern age, the research about his writing gradually makes brilliant achievements, but fails to make comprehensive research..The first chapter discusses relationship of Zhang Heng's writings to the political and academic background in middle period of the Eastern Han Dynasty. The social complexity not only displays in politics from superiority to decline, dictatorship, chaotic royal government, study deterioration, dissolution of the theology study, but also displays in Buddha which is popular to the gentleman thought of "searching truth" which has great impact upon the intelligentsia. Zhang Heng's writings demonstrate panorama of this complicated history comprehensively. His writings get involvement in politics, academic, thought and culture and so on, multi-dimensionally embody the relationship between literature and politics, literature and the study of Confucian classics, literature and theology as well as literature and thought of "searching truth". This chapter has the general remarks nature, may also invent mutually with the later word.The second chapter probes the emotion course Zhang Heng unfolds in his writings. In view of Zhang Heng's life, his creation and experiences can be marked by seven periods in his life, which outlines completely his personal spirit as a scholar, be at lost and give more attention to learning , and search for a spiritual home. His writings are the miniature of his age, the mirror of the class of intellectuals and variation of careful and precise in the early Eastern Han Dynasty. Zhang Heng's writings have also demonstrated his self consciousness and determination: The scholar should distance himself from politics, show his indifference to the followers of the rich and the powerful, which symbolizes the awakening of individual consciousness.The third chapter discusses about the Confucian complementation, the temporary credit of The Book of Songs and The Odes of Ch'u, the northern and southern confluence, the transitional function of Zhang Heng's writings under this cultural background. In the pre-Qin period, the northern and southern culture did not fuse. The North inherits the culture of heavy rational spirit's ethics while the South maintains the system of romance and affection. In the Han Dynasty, following political unification, the age of the cultural blending approached. It deviates from the previous inheritance of the culture and develops with the cultural modes of expansion, communication and unification. The system in the South influences the North while the system of the North generally penetrates into the South. The cultural blending comes to its maturity in the age of Zhang Heng. Zhang Heng's writings, as the carrier of the Confucianism, Taoism, and The Book of Songs and The Odes of Ch'u, can be viewed as a significant model in Chinese cultural and literary history.The fourth chapter discusses changes in Zhang Heng's writings and his understanding of literature. Zhang Heng is an exceptional writer in ancient China who writes with different genres. His poetry, rare as they are is full of gem-like words. His writings can not find its rivals at the time and have the remarkable status in the Chinese literature history. This chapter focuses on three points: Firstly, the changes and ideas in his writings; Secondly, new changes in his styel; Thirdly, new changes in the textual arrangement and publications. Therefore, Zhang Heng, as the representative of literary stylein Han Dynasty, has the unreplaceable and prominent status in the Han Dynasty and even in the whole China.The fifth chapter has unearthed the folk culture in Zhang Heng's writings. The uniqueness of Zhang Heng's writings originates from his familiarity and love for the folk culture. As a learned and well-versed scholar, Zhang Heng involves the folk culture in his abundant accounts, which leave behind the precious materials for us and forms as an indispensable part of the magnificent and colorful artistic world of Zhang Heng.We find from our study that Zhang Heng's writings have gone through the borders of different disciplines. He has great impact on the later generations on account of his existence as a transitional medium, his potential and pioneer. Therefore, we still have a long way to go to give more attention to him and his writings .