Studies On Poetry Of Tang Dynasty By Wang Anshi

Song Dynasty, a period of rapid development in the studies on poetry of Tang Dynasty, has played animportant role in its historical study. Wang Anshi was a major one of those who conducted the collectionand collation of Tang poetry in Song Dynasty, whose studies on Tang poetry was profoundly influential inthe overall development of the studies on Tang poetry in Song Dynasty, and served a significant function inthe construction of the Tang poetry in Song Dynasty. Wang has also made some contribution in compilingTang poetry, collecting and collating the works of other scholars in Tang Dynasty. Tang Bai Jia Collectioncompiled by Wang An-shi is the only anthology of Tang poetry passed down from Northern Song Dynasty.As an important part of Wang Anshi’s studies on Tang poetry, the Tang Bai Jia Collection has greatlyembodied Wang’s life-engaging efforts put in colleting, collating and preserving the poems in Tang Dynasty.In terms of the acceptance level, the anthology reflected Wang’s attitude in accepting and rejecting the Tangpoems. Wang Anshi’s poetic creation has mirrored his viewpoint of the poetic theory, and his attention tothe aesthetic characteristics, creation skills of the Tang poems has also served a guiding function in hispoetic creation. This paper is divided into following parts.First, based on the social and historical background of Northern Song Dynasty, taking seriously andcarding the queries on the compiler of Tang Bai Jia Collection, we hold the belief that its compiler wasWang Anshi. We also sorted different editions of this anthology and its literature resources, investigatingcomprehensively its compiling process.Second, through the studies on the social mores and the changes of poetic style of the time when theanthology was compiled, and the influence of Wang Anshi’s poetic thoughts on compiling anthology, thispaper probes Wang’s unique interest in choosing poems while compiling the anthology. One major featureof the Collection is that most works in it were from middle and late Tang Dynasty and by middle or minorpoets, whereas the poets by the great masters such as Li, Du, Han, Liu, Yuan, Bai and so on were notincluded. Moreover, the preface written by himself was quietly simple and has not revealed his purpose ofpoetic choice. Thus, although this anthology has ranked among the famous anthologies, it was criticized bylater generations again and again. Tang Bai Jia Collection was viewed as a general summary of the Tangpoems made by Wang Anshi, and also implied his understanding of the Tang poems as well.Third, this paper, through a detailed carding of the poem-choosing characteristics of the Tang Bai Jia Collection, expects a deeper study on the influence of the compiling of Tang Bai Jia Collection on Wang’spoetic creation. To some degree, the compiling process of Tang Bai Jia Collection embodied Wang Anshi’sobjectives and interest in poem-choosing, implied his profound thought of the aesthetic characteristics ofTang poetry. His read of Tang poetry and his choice among the Tang poets would undoubtedly influence hisown poetic creation.Fourth, the contrastive study with some important former and latter anthologies makes it possible toconduct a clearer study on the transitional course of beauty-appreciation styles over different periods, andto perfect Wang Anshi’s poetic thought. Through the comparison between Tang Bai Jia Collection andother anthologies on Tang poetry, such as Cai Diao Collection compiled by a Tang poet, Wen Yuan YingHua—a Tang anthology guided by the official language in the early Song Dynasty, and The Advocate ofTang Poetry compiled in Yuan Dynasty, and with the help the poetic customs and styles at that time, wecould see the differences of the interests and characters between different compilers, and better understandthe different understanding and acceptance of the Tang poetry between different scholars over differentperiods. This could provide a convincing evidence about the change on poetic styles and intellectual’sstyles from later Tang Dynasty and Five Dynasties to middle Northern Song Dynasty, and could also revealthe influence of Tang Bai Jia Collection on the later Tang anthologies.Fifth, through the study on the controversy concerned with Tang Bai Jia Collection among thescholars in different dynasties and its status changes and different influences in the whole Tang anthologicalhistory, we could have a better understanding about this anthology. Tang Bai Jia Collection is a Tanganthology with the compiler not stating his objectives. It has attracted public attention once published. Itsbig difference with other Tang anthologies in poem-choosing objectives made it a target of criticism in thelater generations.Sixth, the study on Wang Anshi’s appraisal and learning of the important poets in Tang Dynasty couldhelp us to research his unique concept towards Tang poetry. Wang Anshi’s studies on Tang poetry take ondifferent external shapes, including the compiling of Tang Bai Jia Collection, Wang Anshi’s evaluation onthe Tang poetry, as well as the inheriting and drawing of his own poetic creation from the Tang poetry.Underlying these different forms exists something in common in terms of values pursuit.