A Study On Li Xian's "He-Tao-Shi"

Li Xian,a figure living in the early stage of the Ming Dynasty,has made many achievements in the field of literature and politics.In order to realize the political ambition over more than thirty years in an official career,though often was frustrated with the unsatisfactory or even dangerous situations,he didn't choose to escape like Tao Yuanming,a famous poet in Eastern Jin Dynasty.Li Xian wrote a lot of "He-Tao-Shi"(poems in response to Tao Yuanming's poems),except a verse called "Xing Ying Sheng" almost all of Tao Yuanming's poems were replied by using the same sequence rhyme words of original poems.Li Xian decided to wrote "He-Tao-Shi" with complex background in both individual and history of literature.On the one hand,he was loyal to sovereign and devoted to the country,but often involved in dangerous circumstance.On the other hand,he submitted a resignation several times to the court,but did not get permission.Naturally,Tao Yuanming became his confidant from different times,meanwhile writing "He-Tao-Shi" expressed his reclusive dream can't be realized.In fact,it's very difficult to create a poem according to settled rhyme,but Li Xian's "He-Tao-Shi" has its unique artistic value compared to other "He-Tao-Shi" in successive dynasties because of his deep admiration to Tao Yuanming and expert in writing this type of poem.If we do a calculation,there has been more than 900 years from the beginning of "He-Tao-Shi" to Li Xian's flourishing age.Many poets had made contribution to the development of "He-Tao-Shi",such as Bao Zhao,Jiang Yan,Wei Yingwu,Bai Juyi,Su Shi and so on,their work made the interest in Tao Yuanming throughout the history of Chinese literature.Until the early Ming Dynasty,some figure like Xie Su,Huang Zhongzhao,Zhang Mao,Wu Jie tried to explain Tao Yuanming's poetry with their own particular way.There is no doubt that these activities brought important influence on the writing of Li Xian's "He-Tao-Shi".Why was Tao Yuanming chosen as the concerned object by Li Xian in so much reclusive poets,there are three main factor can be summarized as follow.Firstly,finally went into retirement after ten years of hesitation;secondly,Tao Yuanming had passed away,but his spiritual ideal always console heart;thirdly,a affectionate disposition.Li Xian wrote "He-Tao-Shi" on the basis of his own real understanding for Tao Yuanming and Tao Yuanming's poem.In his thought,Tao Yuanming was a real hermit,and he agreed with Su Shi's evaluation of Tao Yuanming's poems,namely,"the first impression is ordinary,while the essence can't be covered when you read it again and again".He also held that Tao Yuanming had realized a reclusive life,but actually still not completely put down the thought of secular.Go deep into Li Xian's "He-Tao-Shi",we can find its quite abundant ideas,including his aspiration for seclusion,appreciation for the virtue of adhering own mind not hesitated by poor situation,the passion to realize such political ambition like Yao and Shun had,a deep care for his relatives,friends,and masses as well.Li Xian as one of the most important writers of "Tai ge" style,his "He-Tao-Shi" has its shortcomings in terms of ideaistic or artistic aspect,but its practical significance to balance two opposite life choices whether be a official or a recluse can not be ignored,Li Xian also made some innovative assertions with political view on certain historical events and figures.In addition to this,in artistic respect,Li Xian encouraged to create poem naturally and sincerely and put it into real practice,promoting his "Tai Ge" style get weakened.So his "He-Tao-Shi" can partially show the later mature artistic style of disposition poetry should owe to learning from Tao Yuanming.Such a inclination and change taking place in the time when "Tai Ge" was enjoying its popularity has its progressive significance.Besides,Li Xian wrote many beautiful verse lines based on Tao Yuanming's poems just like facing a insurmountable peak,still amazing.Li Xian took Tao Yuanming as his perfect pattern,not to practise a seclusive life style but to stroll in the official circle,which behavior may be largely affected by Bai Juyi's half seclusive life.And we can find that Li Xian's viewpoints in some works such as "Ode to San Liang" and "Ode to Jing Ke" often similar to what attitudes predecessor's "He-Tao-Shi" had revealed.Hence,the thesis holds that Li Xian's admiration and response for Tao Yuanming represents his personal behavior also lasts the learning phenomenon from Tao Yuanming.Therefore,the study of Li Xian's "He-Tao-Shi" is isolated no longer,on the contrary,it will has much more significance of literary history and cultural history.Lastly,it is worth mentioning that Li Xian as a vital writer of "Tai Ge",which artistic style distinctly maintain in his comprehension on Tao Yuanming and Tao Yuanming's poems,the "He-Tao-Shi" such as "a Dedicated Poem to Gu Zeicao by Hu Xicao","Be a Military Chief by Qu E","Narration of Poisonous Wine" and so on,poets living in the same age like Xie Su and Wu Jie and so on are no exception.Undoubtedly,enough attention about branding of the ages should be paid to a historical study on "He-Tao-Shi",and no matter the time is the early or even the whole of Ming Dynasty.