A Probe Into The Prose Of Bai Juyi

Bai Juyi, a great man of letters in the Mid-Tang dynasty, left behind more than 3,800 pieces of poems and prose, many of which still strike root in the hearts of the people today. Therefore, as regards his poems, there have been a lot of research achievements and some common understandings among the academic world. However, as to his prose, there have been few discussions. As a result, there leaves great space for further improvement in the research on his works.There are altogether 831 pieces of prose in the Complete Works of Bai Juyi, covering over twenty styles, most of which are official documents and strategies, and few of which are artistic prose, which has something to do with the background of his age and his own experiences. Among them, pieces of "luefu"(the regulated poetic prose), the style that Bai Juyi attached most importance to and was most satisfied with, are put at the beginning of the works. The style was originally designed for the purpose of sitting for the imperial examinations. Bai Juyi made great breakthrough and innovation to this style, displaying his superb language skill and ability for taking examinations. Other articles, such as letters, notes and prefaces, also took the form of prose. Written in simple and plain words and with a natural style, the articles conveyed his personal disposition and gave expression to his strong emotional nature. They had much in common with poems in both content and form. But, due to his overflowing expression to his personal feelings, especially his repeated singing for the leisurely and comfortable life, these articles seemed narrow-minded, superfluous and not so cultured and restrained, which was quite different from what Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan advocated. The latter two held that articles should advocate Confucian orthodoxy and give voice to justice. Thus, they had a lot of differences in productive methods and artistic features. For all that, Bai Juyi made pioneering contributions to literary forms and writing styles, echoing the ancient Chinese prose movement advocated by Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan and leaving great influences on the artistic prose writing after the Song Dynasty.This paper consists of three parts, namely, foreword, the main body and conclusion. Foreword deals with the present situation and existing problems of the research on Bai Juyi, and clarifies the significance, object and methods of the study.The main body is made up of four chapters, In the first chapter, an overall discussion is given of the attitudes of the people in the Tang Dynasty toward articles. The forms of the parallel prose are also pointed out. It is argued that singing the praises of the emperors remained the mainstream of what people wrote at that time, which went hand in hand with the system of the imperial examinations throughout the dynasty and influenced the writing forms of the men of letters then. Besides, a total discussion and understanding is given about the table of contents of Bai Juyi. In the second chapter, deep research is made into the several styles of his article, such as luefu, tablet inscription, letter, note, forward which were predominant in number and appealing in artistic features. Their strong points and weak ones are pointed as well so as to deepen the understanding of his articles. In the third chapter, an overall study is made into his artistic features, which are easy, smooth and appealing. His stylistic awareness and literary attitude are also discussed. The causes of his artistic features are expounded, too. It is argued finally that his easy style is in fact a reflection of his pursuit in life, that is, ease and comfort. In the fourth chapter, a comparative study is made between his articles and those of Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan, trying to reveal their differences in thought, language and artistic features. Special effort is made to study the differences in their styles. On this basis, further elaboration is made into the ancient Chinese prose movement advocated by Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan. The movement is examined and understood in the context of its specific age. Finally, a probe is made into Bai Juyi's attitude toward the movement and his actual writings as welt as his role and influences, thus giving a clear explanation of their relationships.The conclusion is a brief summary of his influences on the writing of later ages, which can be seen not only in style but also in content in the prose writing after the period of the Northern Song Dynasty. It also gives direct enlightenment to the establishment of the easy, plain and refined style of the prose in the Song Dynasty. As a writer, Bai Juyi sought nutrition from the Confucians, the Buddhists and the Taoists, but he did not stick to any one school. He tried to seek for an easy and comfortable life and maintained his own integrity. He pioneered a road to be an official and hermit for the people of the Song Dynasty and an ideal way of making a living for men of letters of later generations.