Xu Zeng's Poetic Study

Xu Zeng was poet and reviewer in late Ming and early Qing. His works included poetry theory and review practice. The author introduces the background of Xu Zeng's poetry, some important concepts in Xu Zeng's poetry, the character in the Tang poetry review of Xu Zeng, and the compiling aim and standard of el-an comment on Tang poetry, thus discussing its theoretical value and period significance.The thesis is divided into three parts including introduction, the main body and conclusion.The introduction part talks about the present status on studies of Xu Zeng, the research significances of the thesis and also about what this thesis intends to study.The main body consists of four parts, separately introduces the background of Xu Zeng's poetry, some important concepts in Xu Zeng's poetry, the character in the Tang poetry review of Xu Zeng, and the compiling aim and standard of el-an comment on Tang poetry.The first chapter introduces the background of Xu Zeng's poetry. The author explores the relationship between Xu Zeng's poetry and poetry in late Ming and early Qing, including the relationship between pattern theory, Jingling school and the poetry of Xu Zeng. Also, the author discusses the influence aroused by regional factors and the acquaintance on Xu Zeng's poetry.The second chapter introduced some important concepts in Xu Zeng's poetry, including temperament and law,inheriting and enlightening,Jiqu, types of literature, and tuohua, discussing the basis opinions on poetry creation, poetry ontology and the acceptance of poetry. The first part separately talks about temperament and law. Xu Zeng required that temperament be authentic and gracious. A good poetry should both express the authentic and gracious temperament and correspond to the law. The second part put forward that the beginners learn from the formers, inheriting the paradigm and enlightening temperament, the combination of which are the important approaches for the beginners to study poetry. The third focuses on the poetry in itself. Jiqu, types of literature and tuohua are respectively about the poetry substance, the form and the relationship with the formers. Based on these three parts, Xu Zeng made a rational choice on Pattern theory of poetics, adjusting to the poetic trend.The third chapter discusses the Xu Zeng's success and development on the basis of original critical methods. Also, the character of Xu Zeng's poetry review is included. Xu Zeng retorted the idea that poetry is either analyzable or not. He supported that poetry is analyzable and stressed the importance of rational analyze in poetry critics. Xu Zeng used commented as reference, intensely analyzing Tang poetry. Also, Xu Zeng reviewed the poetries by means of poetic technique, exploring the connotation from explicit form, thus making poetry review available. At last, Xu Zeng valued the role of critics, whose poetry review is not only the exposition of poetry, but also the expression of reviewer.The fourth chapter explores the criterion and aim for compiling El-an Comment on Tang Poetry. Based on the aim of benefit for the beginners, Xu Zeng established Du Fu as the example. From the prospect of his typical aesthetic preference, Xu Zeng chose Wang Wei as the model. Influenced by Pattern theory of poetics, Xu Zeng attached importance to the style of article debate, and he talked about the aesthetical character and explicit forms of poetry of various styles.