TU MU AS A LITERARY CRITIC: GLEANINGS FROM THE VILLA ON FAN STREAM (CHINA)

This research explores Tu Mu's complete literary works by examining his literary theories, artistic methods and critical ideas on the intellectual and literary trends and some of the major writers of his time. Through this study, the research attempts to identify and to establish him as an important literary thinker and critic.;Based on this main idea, the following conclusions seem warranted: Firstly, Tu's literary thought was developed from his conception of Confucian learning. Assumptions thus derived dominated his intellectual thought and exerted profound influences on his literary theories and criticisms. Secondly, his theory of Ku-wen prose was developed from his understanding of the basic Ku-wen principles expounded by Confucian scholars engaging in the Ku-wen Movement. The core of this theory is to stress stylistic control to achieve thematic unity for a piece of literary writing. From this theory, Tu develops a system of literary rhetoric. Thirdly, Tu's poetic theory is Confucian in nature and critical in outlook. His criticism of the verses of Yuan Chen and Po Chu-i in Confucian terms was instrumental in causing the decline of the Yuan-ho Style of poetry in late T'ang. Tu's criticism of Li Ho was based on his Confucian vision of literature.;The research concludes that Tu Mu is one of the more important literary thinkers and critics of his time. That he is able to achieve a remarkable coherence, both as a theoretician and a critic, as well as a poet, may be worthy of notice by modern scholars.;Tu Mu's literary thought revolves in the main around his Confucian interpretation of literature. The thought can be observed from three perspectives: the Confucian view of literature, the theory of Ku-wen prose, and his critical view of poetry, which form a coherent system. Its nucleus is Tu's Confucian view of literature, the theoretical foundation of which is structured on his conception of Confucian Learning. The basic literary assumptions derived from the conception powerfully influenced his literary theories and artistic methods as well as his criticisms of contemporary trends and of major writers of his time.