The Study Of Sikong Shu

Sikong Shu, one of the "Ten talented poets of the Tang Dynasty", was born in Guangping(What is now Yongnian county in Hebei Province). He was considered as frank and talented.During the time of Anshi Rebellion, he immigrated several times and settled down in Suzhou.He passed the palace examinations and became a metropolitan graduate. Later He served asthe Registry Clerk. During the reign of Emperor Da-li, he was slandered and demoted fromZuoshiyi to county Magistrate. In the early years of the reign by Emperor Zhen-yuan of TangDynasty, he assisted the chief commander of Jiannan-Xichuan, supervised the Director ofBureau of Waterways and Irrigation. Later on, he was transferred to the Director of Bureau ofBureau of Forestry and Crafts. Sikong Shu died in 790 and left us two pieces of poems intacttill now.At present the study on Sikong Shu is insufficient. The existing parts of the related study,if there are any, mainly fall into the fields of empirical study and literary review. Acomprehensive and systematical study is still far behind what is needed. Thus, an overallstudy of Sikong Shu on the basis of the exploration of his position and proper comment mayserve as a breakthrough in making a further study of him.An overall study of Sikong Shu, which is innovative, may fill in the gaps in the study ofpoetry during the mid-Tang Dynasty. Sikong Shu was born in Hebei Province, the study ofwhom will be helpful in combining construction of the local culture and economy andpromoting the local cultural and economical development. Sikong Shu was straightforwardand not willing to favor the people in power. His poem is elegant and plain in style, the studyof which is meaningful in our life and study.This thesis is a case study of Sikong Shu, aiming at examining the content of his poetrythrough the poet's life story and travel experiences and exploring the artistic features of hispoems based on the textual categorization. In this thesis, the author points out that theoutstanding characteristic of his poems is novelty, leisureliness and closeness to temperament.This thesis finally makes comments on the historical position of Sikong Shu's poems.This thesis attempts to make a systematic analysis of Sikong Shu through the study of hislife story, poetry, literary comments and historical criticism and to explore the development ofhis mind through his poetry.