On Yuexi's Regional Culture And Poetry In Tang And Song Dynasties

Yuexi was the name of today's Guangxi in ancient times. The current research on Yuexi literature was weak and there was even no such work on its classic poetry from the perspective of the local culture's correlation with its regional literature. Tang and Song Dynasties saw the gradual formation and its initial development of regional culture in Yuexi, as Yuexi became an independent administrative division. Since the first appearance and its early advancement were in the Tang and Song Dynasties, here lies the significance of the study of Yuexi regional culture and its poetry in Tang and Song.Poetry is the product of the interaction between the objective world and the subjective poets. The dissertation is based on the thesis that the dynamic role of the poets cannot be ignored while importance is attached to the regional culture in Yuexi. It tries to explore the relationship between local culture in Yuexi and its poetry, aiming to reach a clear and complete understanding of Yuexi Poetry in Tang and Song.The first chapter discusses the effect Yuexi's ecological environment in Tang and Song Dynasties had on poets and the topics they chose to write poems. The characteristics of Yuexi's ecological environment were: remote geographic location, beautiful landscape and mountains, hot and humid climate, and rich natural resources. As a result of the complicated environment, the poets there felt either depressed or pleasant, either fearful or enjoyable. Under the influence of Yuexi's ecological environment themes of poetry varied from mountains, caves, flowers, trees to products and climate.The second chapter discusses the relationship between Yuexi's cultural environment and the creation of poetry. Yuexi's culture in Tang and Song dynasties centered on the culture in Central Plains, together with the policy taken by the central imperial court, diversified by the native culture coexisting with alien cultures. Yuexi experienced the cultural integration, which exert great effect on the topics and the themes of its poetry.The third chapter discusses the relationship between Yuexi's traffic in Tang and Song Dynasties and its poetry. Yuexi's traffic not only affects the flow of range and direction of the poets but also affects the contents, themes, means and sites of their creation. In Tang and Song Dynasties the accesses to Yuexi were: in the northeast Quangui Corridor and Xiao Gui Trail, in the east Xijiang Waterway, in the south Qin and Lian Sea Route, in the west Yujiang Valley. The three major traffic lines included Guizhou - Wuzhou - Qinzhou, Guizhou - Liuzhou - Yongzhou, Guizhou - Xiangzhou– Yulinzhou. The poets traveled on the lines are in different moods for different purposes and it was quite natural for them to create various kinds of poems.The fourth chapter discusses the great differences between the reactions of the poets to Yuexi's local culture. Banished poets had a complex life experience, leaving negative influence on their poems'images and emotions, etc. Officially designated poets positively sang high praise for the beauty of Yuexi mountain scenery to portray their self-sufficient life. Some common intellectuals took a more objective and calm attitude towards Yuexi's local culture, while local poets generally identified with the culture in the Central Plains, and their awareness of local culture began to awaken.Finally comes the conclusion. First, it sums up the general picture and characteristics of Yuexi poetry in Tang and Song. The major focus falls on the writers coming from other regions, supplemented by those who never went to Yuxi and the local writers. Spatial distribution can be summarized as: a center, a belt. A center was Guizhou and a belt referred to Quanzhou - Guizhou - Zhaozhou - Wuzhou - Tengzhou– Rongzhou - Baizhou- Lianzhou - Qinzhou. Yuexi poetry's geographical features were presented in the language, images, mood and so on related to Yuexi's local culture.Second, it highlights the spiral development of Yuexi poetry in Tang and Song: pioneering period in Early Tang, trough in Prosperous Tang, rise in Middle Tang, stable development in Late Tang and Five Dynasties, another trough in Early Northern Song Dynasty, dramatic rise in Middle and Late Song Dynasty until early Southern Song Dynasty, and slight decline in the late Southern Song Dynasty. Evolution of poetry mainly fell into three categories: subject matter, genre, and style.Third, it analyzes the influences of Yuexi poetry in Tang and Song: the deeds and cultural sites of Yuexi poets became the trigger point of later poetry; the ranges of the topics of the poems were accepted and further broadened by the later poets; the achievements and experiences were emulated by future generations; Yuexi poets'cultural activities and creation of poems helped to enhance the later local poets'awareness of Yuexi's local culture.