Yutai Xinyong 玉臺新詠and the Practice of Anthologization in Early
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Yutai xinyong 玉臺新詠 and the Practice of Anthologization in Early Medieval China THESIS Presented in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree Master of Arts in the Graduate School of The Ohio State University By Mengling Wang Graduate Program in East Asian Languages and Literatures The Ohio State University 2018 Master’s Examination Committee: Professor Meow Hui Goh, Advisor Professor Patricia Sieber Copyright by Mengling Wang 2018 Abstract The thesis explores the cultural contexts and poetic innovations of the compilation of an anthology, Yutai xinyong 玉臺新詠 (New Songs from a Jade Terrace). The anthology was allegedly compiled by Xu Ling 徐陵 (507-583), a well-known court scholar in the Southern Dynasties 南朝 (420-589) under the patronage of the Crown Prince of Liang, Xiao Gang 蕭綱 (503-551). The focus of the thesis is how Yutai xinyong was anthologized. I discuss the compilation from several different perspectives: the compilation date, editorship, organization and selection criteria, and the socio-political environment at that time. I argue that Xu Ling was not the only compiler of this anthology and there were probably co-compilers in the same court. Furthermore, the anthology as we have it today was probably not compiled at one time. I propose that its compilation expanded to at least the Chen Dynasty 陳 (557-589), after the fall of Liang Dynasty 梁朝 (502-557). A detailed case study on the seventh and eighth juan 卷 (volume) of the anthology shows that nearly half the poems in these two juan are matching poems (heshi 和詩) or poems written at the imperial command (yingling shi 應令詩). Therefore, I argue that Yutai xinyong was a production that resulted from literary gatherings at the salons of the Crown Prince Xiao Gang 蕭綱 (503-551) and his younger brother Xiao Yi ii 蕭繹 (508-554). Court poets, along with the princes, were the main participants of the activities that created and shaped imperial literary works. The Yutai xinyong has been viewed as a representative anthology of Palace Style Poetry (Gongti shi 宮體詩) and has been criticized for its ornate diction and amorous themes through the centuries. Whether or not Yutai xinyong is a collection of Palace Style Poetry is a complicated question to answer, because scholars are still debating what Palace Style Poetry is. I believe a complex approach to the issue is to allow that Yutai xinyong is not a collection of a certain style, topic or theme of poetry; examined from this perspective, we will see that the anthology in fact features different poetic subgenres and various poetic styles. What Yutai xinyong reflects is in fact the sophisticated cultural and literary environment during the Southern Dynasties. By analyzing the compilation of Yutai xinyong, I reach the conclusion that this anthology was not completed at one time and most likely not accomplished by a single compiler. Through close reading of the poems in the seventh and eighth juan, I argue that these two juan are the product of literary gatherings and group activities. These observations, hinging on the examination of two forms of ji 集 (“gathering”; “collecting”), the gathering of literary men and the collection of literary works, initiate an exploration of Chinese court culture that centers on practices. iii Dedication This thesis is dedicated to my family. iv Acknowledgements This thesis would not have been written without a great deal of support from many people. I owe my deepest gratitude to my advisor, Professor Meow Hui Goh, whose encouragement, guidance and support from the initial to the final phase enabled me to develop an understanding of the subject and to express myself with more precision than otherwise possible. I am deeply indebted to my research committee member, Professor Patricia A. Sieber, who provided me with many critical suggestions that helped to develop the thesis in depth and width. I would like to show my gratitude to Miss Wenting Zhao, and Miss Bing Mu, my dear friends, who encouraged and helped me through the whole academic year. Without you, I would not have been able to complete my program. A special thank to Mr. Hantian Gao, who has been a great partner of my life, and accompanied me through all the twists and turns in these two years. My greatest appreciation also goes to my loving parents in China, who always spare no effort to support my pursuit of dream. Especially, my mother flew from China to attend the graduation commencement. I am also grateful to enjoy the supportive and wonderful academic environment in the Department of East Asian Languages and Literature in the Ohio State University. Here, I would like to offer my regards and blessings to all of those who supported me in any respect during the completion of this project. v Vita 2016 ....................................................................B.A. Chinese Language and Literature, Nanjing University 2016 to present ...................................................Graduate Teaching Associate, Department of East Asian Languages and Literatures, The Ohio State University Fields of Study Major Field: East Asian Languages and Literatures vi Table of Contents Abstract .......................................................................................................................... ii Dedication ...................................................................................................................... iv Acknowledgements ......................................................................................................... v Vita ................................................................................................................................ vi Table of Contents .......................................................................................................... vii Introduction .................................................................................................................... 1 Historical Background ................................................................................................. 3 Xiao Gang as the Patron of Compiling Yutai xinyong .................................................. 7 Approaches ............................................................................................................... 11 Chapter One .................................................................................................................. 20 Editions and Editorship of Yutai xinyong ....................................................................... 20 Anthologization as a Practice .................................................................................... 22 Extant Editions of the Yutai xinyong .......................................................................... 26 Editorship of the Yutai xinyong.................................................................................. 36 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 51 vii Chapter Two ................................................................................................................. 53 Organization and Selection Criteria of Poems................................................................ 53 “Palace Style Poetry” and Yutai xinyong.................................................................... 54 Organization of Yutai xinyong ................................................................................... 59 Selection Criteria of Yutai xinyong ............................................................................ 71 Making New Poetry .................................................................................................. 78 Conclusion ................................................................................................................ 85 Chapter Three ............................................................................................................... 87 Literary Gatherings and Anthologization ....................................................................... 87 Literati Groups and Literary Salons ........................................................................... 91 Matching Poems Written at Imperial Command ........................................................ 98 Searching for Self in the Gatherings ........................................................................ 115 Conclusion .............................................................................................................. 125 Conclusion .................................................................................................................. 126 Bibliography ............................................................................................................... 130 viii Introduction The subject matter of this thesis is Yutai xinyong, the famous anthology traditionally attributed to Xu Ling 徐陵 (507-583), a well-known court scholar who came under the patronage of the Crown Prince of Liang, Xiao Gang 蕭綱 (503-551). My focus is on how Yutai xinyong was anthologized. In the chapters that follow, I will discuss the compilation of the anthology from several different perspectives: the compilation date, editorship, organization and selection criteria, and the socio-political environment in Xiao Gang’s court. My approach is to set aside a definitive or stringent understanding of the anthology, allowing that it needs not be a collection of a certain style, topic or theme of poetry, by a single compiler, or even of a specific point in time.