THE POETIC THEORY AND PRACTICE OF HUANG TINGJIAN BY LIANG DU B.A., HUNAN NORMAL UNIVERSITY, 1982 THESIS SUBMITTED IN PARTIAL FULFILMENT THE REQUIREMENTS FOR THE DEGREE OF MASTER OF ARTS i IN THE FACULTY OF GRADUATE STUDIES (Department of Asian Studies) We accept this thesis as conforming to the required standard THE UNIVERSITY OF BRITISH COLUMBIA JULY, 1991 (C) LIANG DU, 1991 In presenting this thesis in partial fulfilment of the requirements for an advanced degree at the University of British Columbia, I agree that the Library shall make it freely available for reference and study. I further agree that permission for extensive copying of this thesis for scholarly purposes may be granted by the head of my department or by his or her representatives. It is understood that copying or publication of this thesis for financial gain shall not be allowed without my written permission. Department of ^,A-A! S>Tc/P>/gS The University of British Columbia Vancouver, Canada DE-6 (2/88) ABSTRACT Huang Tingjian ffKpK<1045-1105) is one of the most important poets of the Song Dynasty. He is often associated with his contemporary Su Shi|||^ , just as the Tang Dynasty's most important poets Du Fu and Li Bai ^ are linked. Huang founded the Jiangxi School which exerted 150 years of influence _ i upon the creative theory and practice of succeeding generations of poets. Huang is also one of the most controversial poets in Chinese history. His position in poetic history and the controversy surrounding him, make it worthwhile to analyze his poetic theory and practice. This thesis attempts to summarize the main principles of Huang's poetic theory, the main content of his poetry, and the characteristics of his poetic techniques. I begin with a biographical sketch of Huang; it focuses on his political career, and the political affairs which influence his life. Chapter One presents an overview of Huang's poetic theory and the principles of his poetic technique. Therein, I mainly discuss his view of the content of poetry and its political criticism, and also provide a brief discussion of his ideas on poetic style. In discussing his ideas of poetic technique, I examine his method as an organic unit, and then after analyzing his comments on imitation and innovation, I summarize the i principles of his method. Chapter Two is an analysis of Huang's poetic content. Through a survey of Huang's poetry, I explore the chief topics of his poetry. By comparing Huang's general view of poetry with the content he selects, we will ascertain whether or not there is consistency between his poetic theory and practice. Chapter Three is a discussion of Huang's poetic technique. The discussion is dominated by what has been called by many critics Huang's "qi" ^(strangeness). What may be properly j understood as the principles of his technique provide the foundation for his outstanding originality. The aspects of this originality that is discussed are basically associated with his method which is explored in Chapter One. Therefore, this chapter can be seen as an examination of Huang's view on poetic technique from the perspective of poetic practice. This chapter concludes with a survey of Huang's poetic style which develops the discussion of style touched upon briefly in Chapter One. The summation of his poetic style is facilitated by the analyses of his poetic content and technique in the previous sections and chapters. The conclusion is a summation of Huang's poetic theory and practice. I summarize the relationship between his poetic theory and practice in general and his major contribution to Chinese classical poetry. ii TABLE OF CONTEHTS Abstract ..................1 Biography 1 Chapter One A Survey of Huang's Poetic Theory 6 I. Huang's General Views about Poetic Theory ...7 II. Huang's Theory of Poetic Technique 26 A. The Content of Huang's Method 28 B. The Sources of Method 36 C. The Principles of Method . 41 Chapter Two Poetic Theory and Practice: Poetic Content 47 I. Self-Expression 48 II. Nature 61 III. Daily Life 64 IV. Philosophy in Huang's Poetry .68 Chapter Three Poetic Theory and Practice: Poetic Technique 74 I. The Strangeness of Poetic Structure 75 II. The Strangeness of Poetic Sentences 82 III. The Strangeness of Tone Pattern, Rhyme Scheme and Rhythm 102 IV. The Strangeness of Allusion 119 V. A Survey of Huang's Poetic Style 128 iii Conclusion Abbreviations Bibliography Biography Huang Tingjian (zi^Shangu jlj-j^ ; haos j^Shanqu Daoren tij^jIS/^ and Fuweng ), was born in Fenning in Hongzhou (modern Xiushui in Jiangxi province) in the year 1045- When he was 14, his father died. His father's death brought him a hard life at his young age. In his letter to Li Jizhong , he wrote: "I lost my father at a young age and became poor. I often suffered from hunger and cold. Owing to the poverty of his family, he was sent to live with his uncle Li Chang (his mother's brother), who was well-educated and a collector of books. During his stay with his uncle, he was educated by his uncle and aunt, and benefited from reading his uncle's books. Also his uncle brought him to travel Huainan jjljffi and to visit many scholars and poets, which helped him expand his mind. Thus, it can be said that his early education was completed under his uncle's guidance. Huang praised his uncle in an elegy for his 2 uncle: "It is you my uncle who brought up and educated me." In 1067, Huang passed the imperial examination that enabled him to start his official career. Next year, he was appointed 1. Si Bu Cong Kan HojlJ&fllj (abbreviated SBCK), Huang Tingjian, Yu Zhang Huang Xian Sheng Wen Ji ###4 $ f & (abbreviated YZHXSWJ), vol.19, p. 198. M¥-«AiA7t> 2. YZHXSWJ, vol.21, p. 232. 1 Xian Wei (Director of Public Security) of Xie County tr}'^ . In 1072, the emperor Shenzong (1068-1085 )se t tne examination to select teachers for the Guo Zi Jian JU^Ia (the Imperial College). Huang passed the examination with an excellent result, and was appointed Zhu Jiao ||.|f (Assistant Instructor) of the Imperial College. For eight years from 1072 to 1080, Huang was successful in his instruction in the Imperial College, and was promoted Jiao Shou (Instructor). In the year of 1078 when he was conducting his teaching, he began his first contact with Su Shi through correspondence. An important political event with a lasting influence on many officials and intellectuals took place in China when Huang enjoyed his teaching without worries. This event can be traced down Wang Anshi's j£^7j submitting an outline of reform to the emperor Renzong fl^.in 1058. After Shenzong became the emperor in l 1068, he hired Wang Anshi as his Zai Xiang ( premier ), and agreed with him to carry out Xin Fa (New Policies) which is historically called Wang Anshi's Bian Fa J%|j^f$ (Wang Anshi's Reform). Since then, most Chinese intellectuals were divided into two wings--Xin Dang ||^(New Party or Reformer Party) and Jiu Dang Party or Conservative Party) according to their attitude towards Reform. Those in favour Reform are named New Party, and the opposite Old Party. The two wings conflicted until the end of the North Song Dynasty. For such a long period, Chinese intellectuals' destiny was up and down along with the changes of people who were in power in the imperial court. Although Huang himself did not directly or actively participate in the political struggle, he was involved due to his close relationship to some members of Old Party, such as Sima GuangjjJ]^ , Su Shi, Qin Guan|| and etc. In 1080, he ended his term of teaching in the Imperial College, and was appointed a county magistrate of Taihe in Jizhou ^Jfj (modern Taihe ^$J;in Jiangxi >. In 1083, he was transferred to Deping ^jffi in Dezhou j^jfj!<modern Shanghe in Shandong as a Jian Zhen Guan (Supervisor). In Deping, his colleague Zhao Tingzhi j|(|f,£: wanted to pursue Shi Yi Fa iff (a policy of managing market by government) in order to fit in with his immediate administrator. Yet, Huang thought that it was not appropriate to adopt the policy because people in town were very poor. Huang and Zhao had a heated argument about this matter, which became one of reasons that Huang was exiled in the future. Zhezong ascended the throne after the emperor Shenzong died in 1085. Zhezong was only 10 then, and, actually, his grandmother Gaoshi , who was a supporter of Old Party, ruled the state. She hired the key figure of Old Party, Sima Guan as premier, so that most members and followers of Old Party were promoted and New Party was retaliated. Appointed as an Editor of Mi Shu Sheng H^-^j <the Imperial Liberary), Huang went to the capital Bianjing (modern Kaifeng jfj^ in Henan ). Afterwards, he was appointed to participate in writing Shenzonq Shi Lu ^^^•p' (The Veritable Records of Shenzonq). After this book was completed, he was promoted to Qi Ju She Ren jjjjj^^ (the Recorder of the emperor's words and deeds) because of his achievement in this book. After Gaoshi died in 1093, a group of followers of New Party controlled the emperor Zhezong, who was only 17. In order to exclude Old Party, New Party listed more than one thousand of political errors selected from The Veritable Records of Shenzonq. As one of the editors of this book and a sympathizer of Old Party, Huang was inevitably involved in this disaster.