An Analysis Of Li Qingzhao's Ci

Li Qingzhao was a polymath. Not only was she famous for her poems, she was outstanding in the ci writings. In literature her ci enjoys a reputation of the highest standing. Her ci reflected the multi-facets of her life; her work showing enhancement with the progression in her life. Prior to her journey south, her writings focused on the beauty of the surrounding environment and on the optimism of love. After her journey south, her writings expressed the bitterness, struggles and tragedies of life. She was grieved and vexed by the misery of life that she witnessed and often reminisced on the happy past. This emotive state of her life formed the central theme of her work during this period.Li became famous for her unique style of writing and this form of ci was termed "Yian ti". It enabled her to express her true feelings, revealing a depth in the discernment and appreciation of life. "Yian" ci was different from others. It expressed simply yet clearly, graceful in style, sensitive but pertinent. These characteristics of "YIan ti" were unique in the development of ci and formed a cornerstone in the art of ci during the Song Dynasty.Li's ci were notable among her peers and comparable to many of the famous male writers of ci. Li was however famous for her poems rather than ci during the Song dynasty. Even though they appreciated a little of her ci writings, people of Song had reservations. With time she eventually became famous for her ci. During the Yuan Dynasty, beautiful legends of Li evolved. There were many collections of her ci. Li was elevated to the status of a female ci writer of no equal by the literary and the officialdom of the Han race. The greatly enhanced appreciation of Li's works at this time was due in part to the suppression of the Han race during the Mongolian rule.The selections of Li's ci prevailed in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Ming critics of ci regarded her style as that depicting grace and sensitivity. Her writing wascompatible to the romanticized, emotive writing that was popular during the Qing Dynasty. In the Middle Ming Dynasty, emphasis was on natural human emotions rather than pure justice. This was also reflected in the literatures then. This philosophy was later adopted and further developed during Qing, by which time Li was recognized as the seminal writer in this style of writing. Her remarriage became a topic of much discussion, as this was typical of the critical evaluation of that time. The result of this was the depiction of Li as a perfect ci writer. The studies of Li and her writings from May 4th movement to today have further enhanced this image.In Chinese literature, Li was a popular and well-known figure. Li and her works have and continued to have a long and lasting influence on later work of literatures.