The Discussion On The Comments About The Writers Of Western Han Dynasty And Eastern Han Dynasty By Liu Xie

There are many great literary works and good writers in Western Han Dynasty and Eastern Han Dynasty. Wenxin-diaolong(the literary mind and the carving of dragon) has recorded Chinese literature history carefully and discussed writers frequently. However, there is no chapter to comment the writers. Detailing Liu Xie’s opinions on writers in the Han dynasty has advantages to the studying on the Han dynasty literature and the writers theory of Wenxin-diaolong.Liu Xie’s view of literature was deeply influenced by the classics, he put all literary forms under the classics:he proved that they rooted in the classic, and imitated the classics. So Liu Xie often expressed opinions about writers according to the classics. A writer who obeys the classics, no matter which forms he works, Liu Xie would agree to him. In addition, Liu Xie critized writers by the spirit of reconciliation. Liu Xie was dispassionate to the new changes of Han dynasty’s literature:he didn’t appreciate them because they are not included in the classics, but also for their distinctive features and existence, Liu Xie didn’t blind to them. To writers who tried new forms, Liu Xie’s principles are the requirements of themselves and the meanings of the classics. Liu Xie’s words are always fair.Liu Xie’s evaluations of writers can be divided into four parts. First part is for poets, and the comments of them are largely concentrated in Mingshi and Yuefu; the second part is for writers on Ci Fu, and the comments about them are systematic written in Quanfu; the third part is for essayists. This part includes so many forms and writers, and there is no passage to analyse them. Most of the comments are the inclusions of the third section of Wenxin-diaolong except for Mingshi, Yuefu and Quanfu; the last part is for literary critics, and the comments here are most dispersed, and often are the contents of Liu Xie’s own views and conclusions. And the writers from these four parts were the major members of literature in the Han dynasty.Liu Xie was impressed with the literature of the Han dynasty. The Han dynasty is not far from the era which the holy men were alive, and because of this Liu Xie loved the Han dynasty more than Southern and Northern Dynasties. And He admired most of the writers form the Han dynasty, and believed that the writers’ works all obeyed the classics, and their works’ rhymes and rhythm were smooth but serious, and classical, magnificent, and deep were their style. However, Liu Xie didn’t praise writers of the Han dynasty blindly, for he was negative to the new changes of literature in the Han dynasty, and he didn’t feel great to five characters poetry, lyrical Fu and their authors too. Liu Xie’s comments sometimes also rigidity adhered to the meanings of the classics, and Liu Xie castigated the writers of the Han dynasty. He investigated the writers of the Han dynasty very comprehensive, and he thoroughly corrected the writers on grammar and behaviour. Liu Xie most appreciated the writers who were hard-working and had political ability. One of the reasons of the prosperity of the Han dynasty is that its scholar group was active, and the writers of the Han dynasty in Wenxin-diaolong are with vitality as well.