Research On "Tang Shi Xiang Rong Ji"

Tao Yuanzao compiled the “Glorious Collection of Tang Poetry”,to provide the reference to students to study exam-oriented poems and to respond to the imperial examination reform of “decreasing verdicts and increasing poems” in the 22 nd year of Qianlong in Qing Dynasty.This collection has the following three poetic views on exam-oriented poems.First of all,it advocates “well-proportional structure”,requires poetry to have a prominent backbone and suitable rhetoric,and shows resistance to poems with unnatural wording,superficiality and vulgarity.Secondly,it highlights the “appropriateness”.To be specific,it requires poetry to accord with generic features of poetry and properly fulfills three functions: taboo,praise,and idea expression in poetry.Thirdly,it advocates “fresh and incisive” poetry language.It requires poets to cut into the topic through a variety of writing methods,to achieve the purpose of alarming and attracting people and bringing freshness.Compared with the other exam-oriented electives in the same period,“Glorious Collection of Tang Poetry” is a featured anthology including the exam-oriented poetry and the system-should-be poetry.In comparison,“Wave-observing Collection of Tang Poetry” of Li Yinpei focuses on the history of poetry;“On the Tang-Dynasty Imperial Examination Poetry” of Ji Yun is about the history of exam-oriented poetry;and “Glorious Collection of Tang Poetry” is just limited to the exam-oriented poetry.They hold different attitudes towards the exam-oriented poetry.Li Yinpei and Ji Yun believe that the examination poetry is inferior,while Tao Yuanzao argues that the exam-oriented poetry not only belongs to a kind of poetry,but also has its special artistic values and characteristics.Tao Yuanzao believes that a discussion on the exam-oriented poetry should start from the examination poetry itself.Though this genre is difficult to write,it has its special writing methods.Poetry-writing methods in the “Glorious Collection of Tang Poetry” are more specific.Moreover,Tao Yuanzao notices the functionality of the exam-oriented poetry,so his collection is more suitable for giving guidance to students to prepare for the imperial exam.