A Study Of Qu Yuan's Jiu Zhang

Jiu Zhang is the crystallisation of Qu Yuan's life and feelings, whichrecords the author'pursuit, search and misfortune during most part of his life.It provides many important materials and evidences, by which the author'sexperiences, hardships and conflicts of his feelings are better understood, andmeanwhile his artistic style involved in his works can be more objectivelyevaluated.Jiu Zhang has been studied for more than two thousand years since theHan Dynasty. During this time, many distinguished scholars have contributeda lot to the research on it, among whom Wang Yi,Hong Xingzu, Zhu Xi,WangYuan,Huang Wenhuan, Lin Yunming,Jiang Ji and Chen Benli are well known.In view of evidences referred to, Jiu Zhang is individually created by Qu Yuan.The nine chapters of this work were written spatially and temporally asfollows: Ju Song in Ying Du when he was exiled in the fourteenth or fifteenthyear of King Huai's reign; Xi Song in Ying Du when he was to be exiled to thenorth of the Han River in the thirtieth year of King Huai's reign; Chou Si inthe north of the Han River one or two years after his farmer exile; such fourchapters as Si Mei Ren,Bei Hui Feng, AiYing,and She Jiang all in South Chinaduring over ten years of exile in King xiang's reign; Huai Sha and Xi Wang Riin South China just before his suicide in the river of Mi Luo.Jiu Zhang is not only the living record of Qu Yuan's late years, but alsothe representation of conflicts of his feelings. Such conflicts cover fouraspects: first, the conflict between persistence in ambition and worship ofconventional pattern; secondly, that between loyalty to the kings and violationof them; thirdly, that between resentment for exile and love for his country;last, that of choice between living and death.Jiu Zhang is also highly praised for the great achievement in imagecreation. Such images are represented as follows: first, Ying Du(the capital ofhis motherland)—a symbol of ideal and motherland; secondly, Ju(orange)—an image of grasses and trees; thirdly, Gu Xian(ancient sages)—apillar of life in misfortune; last, Dang Ren (political gangs)—representativesof followers of the rich and powerful.The structure of Jiu Zhang has distinguishing features, too. It has fourkinds of forms. The first one is the structure of travel notes changing withtime and space. The representative works are She Jiang, Ai Ying and Huai Sha.The second one is the structure of meditation caused by external world. Therepresentative works are Chou Si,Si Mei Ren and Bei Hui Feng. The third oneis the structure of sudden surge of feelings. The representative works are XiSong and Xi Wang Ri. The fourth one is the structure of ode to objects whichcontain perceiver's feelings. The representative work is Ju Song. Those formshave been continuously used by the later generation and become the four basicpatterns of China ancient lyric poems.The comprehensive study on the respects of Jiu Zhang's authorship, itswritten time and place, conflict and progress of the feelings, images ofexpressing the emotions and characters of the structure can deepen ourcomprehension and appreciation on the trace of his feelings. It can also helpus objectively evaluate Jiu Zhang's artistic achievement and influence on thelyric literature in the later ages.