The Research On Du Xunhe And His Poems

Du Xunhe is a famous poet in Later Tang Dynasty. This essay mainly focuses on his thought, the contents and characteristics of his poems, as well as his achievement and influence, based on which an assessment is made about the poet and his poems.He had extraordinary ambition when he was just a young boy, and with this great dream in mind, he kept striving for it. He not only learnt from former generations, but also bravely concentrated on the subjects that had been impossible in others'eyes. Influenced by Confucianism, Du Xunhe wrote a series of works, in which his idea about literature was embodied. However, dozens of years'continuous effort didn't help Du's dream come true, but changed the strong and ambitious youth into a pessimist old man in poor health condition. Such experiences made a great strike on him, and his thoughts turned to Buddhism. Falling into a contrast between making progress and retiring from society, Du wrote about the pain and struggle in his mind.Du's works cover a wide range, including the sorrow of not be admitted for many times; the expression of feelings through description of things and sceneries; the satire of society and so on. Based on the contents of his works, this essay mainly focuses on three points about his writing: first, expressing his own feelings, and having faith in the imperial examination; second, mirroring the reality, and caring about the life of the masses; third, conveying his desire, and longing for peace. Du aimed to pass the imperial examination, which was the only choice of most intellectuals in feudal societies. However, In the Later Tang Dynasty, with everything declining, it was not surprising not to passing the exam for many a time.Common words were used in his poems. They were not polished, and there were no embellishments in his writing, which made his poems feel natural. Few allusions and many common sayings made the topics apparent. These characteristics of his poems were closely related to his political idea, his literary view, as well as his own way to create poems. His poems carried on the realistic tradition from Li Bai and Du Fu, and elevated it to a new height.