The Lyres Poetry Research In Tang Dynasty

"Scholars would not leave their lyres without a reason." - The Book of Rites.Chinese lyre is not only a time-honored musical instrument, but a symbol of social values, which the ancient Chinese scholars believed in.The economical and cultural developments of Chinese feudal society reached their hey-day in Tang Dynasty. At that moment, Hu music, Yan dance, Qin zither and Qiang flute were all the rage, while lyre was fading away from the stage of folk art. So lyre became something that the scholars treasured and, gradually, it was developed. Speaking of lyre's craftsmanship. Since the Court did not abolish Graceful Music, and scholar-bureaucrats regarded lyre highly, Lei Lyre had earned its place of the most exquisite craftsmanship that even set an example for the development of Zhuo Lyre's technique of the next generation.Lyre was also filled with human sentiments. It was symbolized as keen determination to realize dreams. This was resulted from two incidents: the civil service examination system and heroism. In Tang Dynasty, scholars had more opportunities to be selected to become an official; they were eager to make contributions and start their career under the full-bloomed atmosphere of Tang heroism. It was also symbolized as aloofness from the vulgar especially when scholars felt unrecognized, or experienced the social unrest and homeless after the Turmoil of Anshi. They may, therefore, had a sense of loneliness or felt cynical against the present. Given the special emotional attachment as lyre to scholars, it is natural to find metaphor uses of lyre for sadness in the Tang poems. Besides, women status at the time was much better than before, so freely playing lyres was a best way of expressing hatred or dreams of love for them. In Tang Dynasty, lyre had a touch, under the ideology of "All-embracing", of both Buddhism, which preaches a meditative mind, and Taoism, the demeanor of a transcendent being.As the economy and culture developed, lyre music ever played by music officials, scholars, monks and taoist had enabled the playing techniques to an incredible stage at the peak of a feudal society. Influenced by past dynasties, lyre music had aesthetically become the sound of serene and peace. Morality of players had become a factor, as well as the conception of appreciating the aloofness from the real world. Playing a "String-free" lyre is the best definition for such kind of aesthetic value.In mid-Tang Dynasty, Mr. Bai Juyi's understanding of lyre was the most representative thoughts because he possessed perceptive insight of music and profound knowledge of literature. This kind of musical thoughts was typical in Tang's scholar-bureaucrats. His thoughts reflected the "All-embracing" - Confucianism, Buddhism and Taoism. Also, they indicated the emotional path that Tang scholars entered into career till retired, with lyre. It can be well concluded that, these thoughts concerning lyre music, were on the one hand summing up the past thoughts while on the other, had great influence on the musical thoughts of scholars from mid-Tang Dynasty to Song Dynasty, such as Su Shi.