Tao Yuanming, Xie Lingyun Poetic Style Formation And Compared

The thesis focuses mainly on the comparison of the style formation between Tao Yuanming and Xie Lingyun's poetries. First, the internal and external causes of them are found through longitudinal comparison from the angle of literary history. Second, the characteristics of their poetic style are summarized and connections between their poetic styles are found from the angle of aesthetics, literary psychology and stylistics as static transverse comparison. On the one hand, the reasons that literary history is set as a background of their poetic style formation are inner laws of the literature development and other factors owing to historical evolution and social development. Intellectual history, style history and interesting history also contribute to their poetic styles. On the other hand, the very cultural-history atmosphere in their times is a contributing factor for their poetic style.This paper is divided into three chapters:The first chapter discusses style features of poetries written by Tao Yuanming and Xie Lingyun, based on the analyses of Liu Xie, Zhong Rong, SuShi, YanYu, etc. in ancient times, Wang Fuzhi, Shen Deqian, Ye Bian, etc. in recent period, and Lu Xun, Zhu Guangqian, Yuan Xing pei, etc. in contemporary age. Tao Yuanming's poetic style characteristics are summarized as natural and plain, of primitive simplicity, of real feeling, of thought-provoking images, and of the diversity of the style. In contrast, Xie Lingyun's poetry style is lucid, bright, elegant, outstanding, unique and beautiful. They are analysed from two aspects:the formation of poetic imagery and the mood of return to one's own heart.The second chapter discusses the external reasons of their poetic style formation. They are influenced differently from former poetic style, such as The Book of Songs, The Songs of Chu, Nineteen Old Poems, poems in Jian'an times, poetries about Immortals and metaphysical Poetries. In other words, they draw different nourishment from former poetries respectively. In a word, Tao Yuanming is more impressed by The Book of Songs and Nineteen Old Poems, while Xie Lingyun inherits and develops poetic style of Qu Yuan. Thus, Tao Yuanming is a comprehensive successor of primitive simplicity style, while Xie Lingyun serves as a link between past and future, following the trend of poetry development. The third chapter analyses internal reasons in forming their respective poetic style mainly from the angle of personality characteristics, and their aesthetic tastes, which are formed from different family background, the clan culture, the social experience, and their goals in life. In conclusion, Tao Yuanming strives to consummate his independent personalities, making the realm of life reach its new elevation, which is reflected in his poems. Xie Lingyun, however, under the deep influence of the clan culture and his family honor, craving for family reviving, has a keen eye on the vitality of life force.The conclusion of the thesis is as follows:Tao Yuanming, a representative of ancient scholars'noble personality, is a comprehensive successor of primitive simplicity style, which impressed generations to come. In contrast, Xie Lingyun, with lucid, bright and outstanding style in poems, together with his landscape poetry, paves the way for the climax of mature poetry in Tang dynasty.