Zeng Guofan's Development Of The Literary Theory Of Tong Cheng School

A controversial figure in the Chinese history, not only wasZeng Guofan a politician, but he was also influential in thehistory of Chinese literature. Historians called him "theleader of the renaissance" . Though greatly influenced by TongCheng School, regarding Fang Bao and Yao Nai as " the realorthodox literature" , Zeng Guofan tolerantly absorbed andmade good use of what was good in others. His perspective andvision seemed broader, his literary theoretical ideas more openand practical after he had properly corrected and supplementedthe literary theory of Tong Cheng School. From four aspects thisthesis elaborates on Zeng Guofan' s development of the literarytheory of Tong Cheng School. Based on Tong Cheng School' s"Yili" - the reason and good sense of a speech or essay,"Kaoju" -textual criticism and "Cizhang" -art of writing,he put forward "Jingji" , the running and management of acountry, thus enriching "Yili" by "Jingji" , giving"Yili" brand new content and timely spirit as well as" Jingji" contemporary meanings. Based on Tong ChengSchool' s styles of " Yinrou" -the gentleness of the feminineand "Yanggang" -the strength of the masculine, a man ofletters and politician in one, he emphasized the bright,handsome and great qualities of masculine beauty, advocatinginterpretation of and distinguishing between the two beautiesof "Yinrou" and "Yanggang" on the basis of their internalstructures and using them to apprieciate a writer' s works ofart and to guide the creation of literature. Based on TongCheng' s " impressive theory" , he put forward the circular andinteractive relationships between "Qi" , "tone" and"emotion" and dominant position of "Qi" and subordinaterelations of words, sentence makiing and the structure of thetext, considering "Xingqi" , the internal connection of thearticle, the most important element of all. Zeng Guofan About the creation of ancient Chinese, he recommended the combination of verse and prose and encouraged the advantageous use of words and tones of Han Fu, a literary genre very much in vogue in the Han Dynasty over the disadvantageous use of ancient Chinese of Tong Cheng School, a new way of developing ancient Chinese on the way of changing. The forming of Zeng Guofan' s literary theoretical ideas may be seen as the result of special social and historical influence, the imperceptible cultural influence of Hunan, cultural accumulation and personal improvement.