An Exploration Of Researches Concerning "Ci Theory" Of Li Qingzhao And Its Poetic Thoughts

Li Qingzhao, as an outstanding female ci writer in China’s literature history, is a popular theme for studies. In terms of Li’s work, “Ci Theory”, is the earliest work in the criticism history of the ci study, as well as one of the most significant critic comments in China, which has drawn attention and comments from the poem researchers and ci writers since the Southern Song Dynasty. Since then, the number of researchers in this regard grows. Until the late 1970 s, studies on Li Qingzhao and her “Ci Theory” took on new appearance, which gained positive comments and even praise; while researchers have adopted new methods to discuss the “Ci Theory” and investigate its value from new perspectives. Such studies have achieved abundant progress. Thus, this paper makes an integral and comprehensive analysis of “Ci Theory” in the theme of “Ci Theory” studies and explores researches and comments of different researchers on Li’s work under specific time circumstances in order to present patterns and features of remarks on this work and to talk about the author’s understanding of poetics thoughts in this work via analysis and integral study.The introduction is mainly about a general description of relevant studies of the “Ci Theory”, the significance of this study, the methodology and basic thinking.Chapter One summarizes an overview of Li’s “Ci Theory” from a number of scholars’ comments, their reasons and features including Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasty, the modern times and the contemporary times. The focus on “Ci Theory” mainly emerges in the period from Song Dynasty to Yuan Dynasty and the post-1949 period, with two peaks in 1950 s and 1980 s and has been gradually deepened until the 21 st century. Studies on the “Ci Theory” have obvious epochal characters, and scholars have an attitude from being conservative to approving.Chapter Two emphasizes on main content and basic views on “Ci Theory”, of which the text research and results encompass the author, the year, issues of Yue-Fu Poems, story of Li Balang(a famous singer in Tang Dnasty), Li’s opinion of “Poetry is an independent literature reform”(“bie shi yi jia”), the elimination of Zhou Bangyan, an analysis of Li’s creation separated from theories. The issues above are all frequent topics of this book but most of them are not solved due to objective causes, posing great importance on understanding Li Qingzhao’s poetic thoughs and the development of ci. However, the study on the text of “Ci Theory” has a number of shortcomings. Therefore, the author is looking forward to more better research results.Chapter Three is a summary and conclusion of all researches above and interprets Li’s remarks on various poets and her idea that poetry in an independent form of literature, mainly referring to poetic thoughts in six respects, i.e., “elegance”, “rhythm”, “foreshadowing”, “grandness”, “temperament and interest” and “literary quotation”. As the popularity of studying Li’s “Ci Theory” is growing, scholars praise this book and sometimes in an overestimated level. This chapter is going to view its value and significance based on analysis and studies.