Reading Poems Of Lu You

The Nan Song dynasty was founded in 1127 A.D by Zhao Gou. In 1140 A.D, the Nan Song kingdom reached a peace agreement with the Jin Kingdom in which boundary lines between the two countries were redrawn. Much of the Nan Song's territory was ceded to the Jin. During this time, patriotic style poetry flourished among the Nan Song poets. One of the most prolific and representative poets of this period was Lu You (November 1125 A.D-January 1210 A.D).The Song dynasty greatly favoured scholarly pursuits over warfare. In light of this political atmosphere, the civil exams underwent a series of reforms. Advancement in the printing and publishing books brought the Song dynasty into a renaissance period of cultural and literary development.Lu You strongly opposed the Nan Song's submission to the Jin, but was unable exert any influence. Consequently, he turned his focus on studying and writing of poetry which was a very important part of his literary output. His poems reflect many aspects of his life.This thesis presents an analysis of the "Reading poems " of Lu You, presenting a new direction for understanding his poetry and how they reflect upon his life and scholarly experiences. This new analysis provides insight for contemporary readers on how to approach and comprehend the poems of Lu You. This paper attempts to solve two problems:First, Lu reading life situation? Second, reading a poem by Lu You thematic content and artistic characteristics of what? In particular, the reasons for his prosperity and the differing styles of his poems during various time periods in his life will be discussed.