| Wen Xin Diao Long,as Liu Xie said in his Preface Records,is a guiding monograph on the law of writing,but it still discusses such contents as essentialism,creationism,works theory and criticism,that is,the contents of various literary theories involved in a complete scientific system with a grand structure and a tight organization.Therefore,it is regarded as an excellent theoretical work in the history of ancient Chinese literary criticism.As a critical theory work,Wen Xin Diao Long contains abundant appreciation and criticism thoughts and practice,which has important research value and exert an influence on the history of ancient Chinese literary criticism and contemporary criticism.This paper is mainly divided into five parts.The introduction part introduces the current situation,significance,ideas and methods of the research on the criticism of Wen Xin Diao Long.The first chapter analyses the background and foundation of the critical theory of Wen Xin Diao Long.Firstly,Liu Xie,as a critic in Qi and Liang Dynasties,formed his criticism under the philosophical background of the decline of Confucianism,the prosperity of metaphysics and the eastward spread of Buddhism.Secondly,Liu Xie’s criticism is characterized by his comments on literary development and writers’ works in all parts of the book(more than half of the book’s content.)The formation of this criticism is obviously influenced by the trend of ‘Judgment on people’ in Han and Wei Dynasties.In Eastern Han Dynasty,‘Judgment on people’ inspected the character’s character and virtue at first.In Cao Wei Dynasty,Ren Wu Zhi of Liu Shao began to attach importance to the character’s talent.Then in Jin Dynasty,Shi Shuo Xin Yu began to pay attention to the character’s spiritual style.Therefore,the artistic creation of people making judgment on people began to be based on the inner feelings of characters.Liu Xie was influenced by this method to comment on the writers’ works.Thirdly,Liu Xie’s criticism is the development and perfection of the literary criticism thoughts of previous dynasty,especially with the literary criticism thoughts of Wei and Jin Dynasties.Liu Xie inherited and innovated Cao Pi’s criticism of the writers of Classical Comments and Essays,Cao Zhi’s main idea of appreciation and criticism of Yu YangDe Zu Shu,and Lu Ji’s aesthetic standards of ‘ying(to echo),he(harmonious),bei(sadness),ya(elegant),yan(gorgeous)’in Wen Fu.Chapter II systematically analyses the critical subject theory of Wen Xin Diao Long.Liu Xie mentioned three types of readers in the chapter of Zhiyin: ordinary readers(appreciation subjects),professional readers(criticism subjects)and ideal readers(zhiyin).Liu Xie looking for the ideal readers and pursues the criticism of ‘zhiyin’.Although the ideal reader is not the same as a critic,Liu Xie believes that a critic can become a ideal reader only if he has conditions of broad outlook,different opinions,profound knowledge,and identify profound,sensitive mind,bright perspectives and so on.Critic can better engage in criticism activities if he has necessary quality conditions,the function of critic is to explain the meaning in the text,so as to better guide readers to read and understand;it can also recommend good books to readers and improve readers’ appreciation abilities;moreover,critic also plays a role in helping writers to improve,and critic finds the author’s extraordinary splendor,helps him realize the value of life and works smoothly.Chapter III and Chapter IV discuss the critical methods and criteria of Wen Xin Diao Long by combining theory with practice.Liu Xie holds the critical concept of ‘Yuanzhao’,which is embodied in depth profile analysis and compromise only(comprehensive analysis method),looking at every corner and concurrently looking at the road(comprehensive appreciate method),feeling emotions through language like seeking the source along river waves(in-depth observation method),His criticism of a large number of writers and works based on a comprehensive and in-depth view.In addition,when Liu Xie criticized,he used ‘Zong jing’ as a means,practice the criticism criteria of ‘Liuyi’ ‘Liuguan’ ‘Caide’.The last part tries to discuss the contemporary value and significance of the criticism of wen xin diao long,which is mainly reflected in three aspects.one is to inspire readers of later generations to pursue the wisdom of ‘zhiyin’ appreciation and criticism,second is to provide enlightenment for modern critics to avoid the wrong critical mentality.Third is to set up a‘circular’ criticism paradigm for contemporary criticism.In the conclusion,it is believed that the criticism of Wen Xin Diao Long shows its independent character.Liu Xie’s exposition on the subject,method and criterion of criticism plays a constructive role in guiding contemporary critics to criticize relatively objectively and fairly. |
