Zhangzhu's Poems Based On History

The thesis focuses on a role played by TuiYanCiof the poet in YuanDynasty, ZhangZhu, in the development of epopees. Great progress had beenmade in the research of poems in Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty for a longtime, while few poems in Jin and Yuan Dynasties were studied. The researchof poems in Jin and Yuan Dynasties is also of great benefit to the one of theentire history of ancient poems. Two volumes of Tui YanCi exist now andcritics in Qing Dynasty thought highly of them. For instance, the thirdvolume Remarks in White Rain House by Chen Tingchao says, "Day by day,poems in Yuan Dynasty were more and more depressing. Zhang Zhongjubecame the great master after the South Song Dynasty. His ability wasbeyond that of those among CaoChuang and Xilu. The theme was prettygood and deep. Due to Mr. Zhang, the poems of Yuan Dynasty didn't dieout." General Survey of Poems remarks, "It is not a flatter that ZhangZhongju is said to be matchless in the times. His poems rank first and theirthemes are fairly good and deep. Due to Mr. Zhang, the poems of YuanDynasty didn't die out." In common, critics in Qing Dynasty thoughtZhangZhu's poems were in representative of the greatest achievement ofpoems of Yuan Dynasty. On this base, the thesis summarizes one moreimportant characteristic, that is, to write poems about history. Then, the thesis discusses it on three sides: the first one is the general style of Poem ofTuiYanCi—the extension and development of the South Song Dynasty; thesecond one is the epopees in Poem of TuiYanCi—the exploration to the poeticconception; the third one is the position of Poem of TuiYanCi the history ofpoems. We can draw a conclusion from the remarks of these critics in QingDynasty that Poem of TuiYanCi continues and develops the poems in SouthSong Dynasty to the top at that time. Ideas of refined tastes in Song Dynastyinfluences more gradually, which brings the basic changes to the poems inYuan Dynasty. As a poet living in between Song and Yuan Dynasties, ZhangZhu merged the South and the North in his works. In additional, as a literator,he mostly wrote about the beauty of scenery, melancholy of the journey, thefeelings of missing and the gloomy mood of farewell. The works are gentlyand elegant in form and something of grace in style. Despite this, someimportant words of history remain in Poem of TuiYanCi which help usunderstand the history at the end of Yuan Dynasty and learn the fiercepeasants' fights and economic destructions in society caused by them. All ofthese are shown in Zhang Zhu's works. The part mainly described in thethesis incarnates in several wars in the South of the Yangtze River betweenpeasants and official arms then. After some important towns like Nan Jing,Yang Zhou and Su Zhou etc. fell, the writer created the pomes full of tears.As for the position of Zhang Zhu's poems in the history, the article lists theworks of Li Yi, Liu Yong, Su Shi, and Xin Qiji. And from the aspect of the exploration about the conception, it draws a conclusion that every change insociety will bring reform and creation to a literature style. The emotions of asubjugating king are fully expressed in the upper works of Li Yi in SouthTang Dynasty; the political dreams and lofty sentiments are completelyexpressed in poems of Su Shi in North Dynasty, which even contain worryand indignation to the court and difficulty in realizing the life dreams; theheroic images are perfectly drawn in the writings of Xin Qiji in South SongDynasty, which is a cry for his difficult ambition and even a charge of therulers' inability. Their poems deeply reflect the strongest voice in the time. Asa great poet in Yuan Dynasty, Zhang Zhu opened a boum of writing poems ashistory, keeping the artistic conception broader, though he lived in differenttimes when the style of poems were undeveloped. It was his creativecontribution that led the content in the poetic conception and was in harmonywith the duty of history to outpour true feelings. Zhang Zhu is a connectinglink between the preceding and the following. He improved the poems inSouth Song Dynasty to make them refined and exquisite. Simultaneously, heopened the style of epopees to lead the tide of poems in Qing Dynasty andcontribute to canonizing this style.