A Study On Union Poetry Of Seven-character Quatrain In Tang Dynasty

Seven-character quatrain was the second largest poetry form in Tang dynasty, which set great example in Chinese poetry development. There were many anthologies that selected seven-character quatrains in later dynasties. Union poetry is a combination of two or more than two poems. The union form was usually ignored in books of selected poetry. Quatrains and union poetry form a unity of opposites. The union poetry of seven-character quatrain of Tang had the largest number throughout history, and it provided valuable artistic experience for the future generations. The current study considers the union poetry of seven-character quatrain of Tang as an independent style and form, exploring its origin, structure, significance of poetics and creation of the poets.Chapter One:on the origin. First, the current study traces back to the origin and combs out the arguments about this issue. Second, the researcher distinguishes and analyzes the forms of "several poem with one title" in Tang dynasty and defines the scope of the union poetry:Several kinds are eliminated out of the scope, including antiphon poetry with the same subject, joint sentences poetry, the poems gathered with same topic on the banquet, poems with same topic and by same poet, the collected poems, and the selected poems. Last, the above-mentioned poetry is named as "Lianzhang" (the union poetry), in a narrow sense.Chapter Two:on the structure. The most important element of the union poetry is the law of structure. The structure of the union poetry has the law, but not fixed. To discuss on this question, we shall first understand the characteristics of the union poetry, and then study from the outside to the inside. The research divides it into two structures:single and multiple, followed by the discussion on the specific internal law. The union here is the combination of harmony and variety. The study discovered the experiences of the Tang union poetry as follows:Single-structure union poetry breaks the whole into parts, while multiple-structure has a variety of changes concerning its law:one and more, more and more, one and one. However, there were also some poems losing connection in Tang, from which current studies shall draw a lesson.Chapter Three:on the significance. The significance of the study on the union poetry of seven-character quatrain in Tang dynasty lies in three aspects:First, the union form makes it possible for the short quatrain containing the same artistically expressive force as the long poem under the condition of preserving its own characteristics. Second, the union form is a poetic arena that focuses on the integrity of the poem, and if reading poem from this perspective, we can discover the ideological and artistic value of the poetry that has been ignored in the poetry anthology. Third, the union form of seven-character quatrain also provides a new insight in studying poets’ minds and poetic thoughts. The appendix illustrates one example of Tang poets appreciating union poems of seven-character quatrain under the same title.Chapter Four:on the poets. This part focuses on three distinguished poets’ union poetry of seven-character quatrains, namely, Wang Changling, whose union poetry of seven-character quatrains featured the highest quality; Du Fu, whose quatrains struck controversial commentaries; and Bai Juyi, who composed the most union poetry of seven-character quatrains. The appendix lists five cases of commentary on the antiphon poetry with the union form of seven-character quatrains between Pi Rixiu and Lu Guimeng.Finally, the researcher summarizes the four chapters and reaches the conclusion. As a model of poetics, the union poetry Seven-character quatrain of Tang, enlightens future generations to break through the limit of anthology, reading, criticizing and studying from an integrated perspective, and therefore, making every poem play their proper role in the union.