A Study On The Mentalities Of The Four Wuzhong Poets

The Four Wuzhong Poets at the end of Yuan and the beginning of Ming dynasties includes Gaoqi, Yangji, Zhangyu and Xubi. They all had outstanding literary achievements, especially Gaoqi, who was rated as the No.1 poet at the beginning of Ming dynasty. They lived at a time of dynasty transition, and all had a relationship with the Yuan dynasty, which was ruled by the Mongolian, the Zhang Shicheng power, which reigned the Wuzhong region at the end of Yuan dynasty, and the Ming dynasty, which took over the whole country later on. Because of the Non-Han characteristic of the Mongolian Yuan dynasty, the half-hearted attitude of Zhang Shicheng toward the Yuan government, and the high pressure that Zhu Yuanzhang exerted at the beginning of Ming dynasty especially toward the Wuzhong scholars, the Four Wuzhong Poets, living in the narrow gap of the era, undoubtedly held a complex and subtle mood when interacting with them. The Study of the mentalities of the Four Wuzhong Poets would have a significant value to the understanding of the cotemporary scholars, especially those in the Wuzhong area.This dissertation is divided into four parts. The first part focuses on discussing the general philosophy of life of the Four Wuzhong Poets, including the traditional scholars' sway between entering politics and retiring as well as the scholars' view of chasteness reinforced by the wide-spread of the neo-Confucianism. The second part analysis their relationship with the Yuan dynasty, especially their recognition of the Mongolian government and the state of their national consciousness. The third part deals with their relationship with the Zhang Shicheng power, including their view toward the its nature, their mentalities of serving it and the underlying implication of their spree in the chaos of the era. The last part probes into their relationship with the Ming dynasty, concentrating on the route of their changing attitudes toward recognizing the new government, their mentalities of serving it and how they went to their tragic endings in the new times.