Wang Chang’s Thoughts Of Ci Poem And Practice

As a representative of middle stage "Zhexi Ci Poetic School", Wangchang’s thoughts of Ci Poetry as well as his works inherit those of his predecessors’. Influenced by his life experiences, personality and the times he lives in, his thoughts of Ci Poetry has innovated to some extent with his works boasting special features. In this thesis, a study is conducted on the significance of Wangchang’s thoughts and works in the history of Ci Poetry on the basis of the historical background on which his thoughts forms and its application in his literary creation.The thesis is divided into three parts:Chapter One deals with the background on which Wangchang’s thoughts of Ci Poetry develops. In this Chapter, the social and academic background during the reign of Emperor Qianlong of Qing Dynasty and Wangchang’s life story and personality are taken into consideration. The Chapter is divided into three parts. In the first part, the historical background in which Wangchang lives is introduced and its influence on the formation of his thoughts of Ci Poetry is analysed. As a Confucian scholar at his time, Wangchang’s thoughts of Ci Poetry is influenced by Qianjia School and its study style of textual criticism which should not be neglected. Moreover, Wangchang is born in the middle stage of Zhexi Ci Poetic School, so the change and innovation of the School also influences the formation of his thoughts. In the second part, the formation of Wangchang’s thoughts of Ci Poetry is discussed based on his family and life experiences. In the third part, his relationship with his teachers including Wangjun and Shendeqian as well as his association with "Seven Poets of Wuzhong" is referred to in order to illustrate the influence of the poet’s social relationship on his thoughts of Ci Poetry.Chapter Two introduces Wangchang’s thoughts of Ci Poetry. This chapter focuses on the study of Wangchang’s Ming Cizong and Cihua of Xiyan Recluse with the preface of his Chunrongtang Collection as illustration so as to extract Wangchang’s abundant thoughts of Ci Poetry criticism. This chapter is divided into six parts. This first part:praise highly the literary genre of Ci poetry. Ci poetry is "the essence of music and the descendant of poetry". Wangchang traces the origin of Ci Poetry back to the Book of Songs and the Lament. The second part:pursue elegance and honor the Ci poetry of the Southern Song Dynasty. He demands that the Ci Poetry be "Joyous but not indecent, with resentment but no fury". The third part:value expressing intention by metaphor, analogy and association. He thinks Ci Poetry should be implicit and suggestive. He values the works of Chenzilong and Xiawanchun in his selection. The fourth part:state the influence of the environment factors. He pays attention to the creation environment and family background of the poets. The fifth part:appreciate the Ci poems in accordance with the personality of the poets."The analysis of Ci poem must be carried out on both personality of the author and the character of Ci", Wangchang analyze the Ci poetry from the aspect of the authors’ personality and times. He put emphasis on combining the Ci poetry with the authors’ personality and life experiences. The sixth part:focus on the female Ci-poet. a great number of the works of female Ci-poet have been selected in Ming Cizong and high appraisal has been given to them.Chapter Three discusses the characteristics of Wangchang’s Qinhualou Ci. This chapter analyse the charactersitics of Wangchang’s Qianhualou Ci with reference to his personal experience and the times he lives introduced in chapter one as well as his thoughts of Ci poetry criticism extracted in chapter two. This chapter is divided in four parts. The first part:Wangchang advocates expressing intention by metaphor, analogy and association.He expresses his homesick feelings and Jiangnan complex in his works. The second part:because of the complicated political situation during the reign of Emperor Qianlong and Jiaqing, a large number of Ci poems of Wangchang show his desire for quite and idle life. The third part:Wangchang is a scholar, poet and inscription artist besides his fame as a Ci poet. Therefore, his scholarship can be found in his works with a variety of sentences written by other poets and literary quotations used, realizing the effects of valuing the literary genre of Ci poetry. The fourth part:because of his personality and living environment, quite a lot desolate and fragmentary images are shown in Wangchang’s Ci poems, which creates a desolate and grieved atmosphere, expressing the author’s feeling of melancholy and achieving the artistic effect of plain and elegance.