A Comparative Study Of Liu Yuxi, Bai Juyi’s Political Satirical Poem

Political satirical poem is the most practical intrusive in Chinese poetry tradition. Liu Yuxi and Bai Juyi, facing the middle Tang dynasty society of fragmented military governorship, the eunuch’s rule and people’s survival, chose the satirical poem to express their concerns about politics and society. Both Liu Yuxi’s and Bai Juyi’s satirical poems has distinguishing feature. On the ideological implication part, Liu’s satirical poems show more complaints about the Yongzhen reform group, while Bai’s poems tend to expose and criticize the hard livings of bottom class and the darkness of the social reality. On the Artistic characteristics part, Liu’s poems are more implicit and meaningful in the satirical language, meanwhile, Bai’s poems appear more direct and sharp. On the part of poetry theory, Liu Yuxi carries on theory of artistic conception which Wang Changling and Jiao Ran have set up. What’s more, he comes up with the thoughts of “The artistic conception of poetry emerges out of appearances”, which deepens and summarizes Chinese realistic poetics. The appearance of the satirical poems and making a great amount always shows the emergent of social problems. Research on Liu Yuxi and Bai Juyi’s political satirical poems really make sense for the following reasons. First of all, it’s good for us to make an all view comprehension on the two poet’s creations and poetic characters. Secondly, it’s in favor of understanding the whole view of middle tang dynasty society. Finally, it can provides some positive experience and negative lessons for our nowadays construction of political civilization.