The Study Of Pre-Classical Prose Movement In Tang Dynasty

This thesis, based on the view of Liang Su in Tang Dynasty that an article has three changes, holds that the ideological and cultural movement arised gradually from Tianbao to Zhenyuan eras in mid-Tang Dynasty is the pre-Classical Prose Movement in Tang Dynasty. By reflecting the mood of that age, Xiao Yingshi, Li Hua and his students Dugu Ji and Liang Su formed a group consciousness with a clear idea that an article should carry Dao by restoring the classics, purify people's mind with established customs and save the dangerous and the dying country. They visited and learned from each other amongst friends. And teachers'ideas were inherited by students. They formed a number of intellectual communities, amongst which literary elite were elected, thus took shape the pre-Classical Prose Movement in Tang Dynasty.The "classical style"in pre-Qin and Han Dynasties was applied in this movement to promote the Confucianism melt with Buddhism, which lays a solid foundation for Han Yu to "put an end to the old situation between Northern and Southern Dynasties ", and to "break the new ground of Song and the following dynasties ".Etiquette construction is an important written part of the pre-Classical Prose Movement). And this idea extended for a long time till Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan. From this perspective, the classical movement of Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan is continuation of the pre-Classical Prose Movement, which is a prelude to the classical prose movement.The first part of this dissertation, from a macroscopic angle, mainly elaborates its properties, characteristics and its relations with politics of pre-Classical Prose Movement; while the second part, from a microscopic angle, studies the creation of its main leaders. From both the vertical and horizontal dimensions, a comparison is made between the creations of the main leaders so as to analyze the group inheriting process of their literary concept.Xiao Yingshi is the literary leader in Tianbao era. His idea of following classics and restoring classics was agreed and developed the other group members. Li Hua attached more emphasis to the moral improving of writers and the role of cultivation of their works in his literary theory. Because of the differences between classic and modern literary view, the works of the pre-prose movement are paid little attention to. That's because people thought they didn't know Dao as they talked and that they had no achievements in implementing classical prose. In fact, the articles of Xiao Yingshi and Li Hua clinged closely to the social reality. Li Hua was good at narrative, with splendid style. He made more achievements in innovating style than Xiao Yingshi. While Xiao Yingshi (the latter) was good at argumentation, with relaxed and confident style. He gained achievements in the creation of Fu style. Both of their works are alternated with Pian style and prose and with little allusions. During Dali era, Dugu Ji and Liang Su became transitional characters to reform stylistic in Zhenyuan era. Dugu Ji attached importance to the articles of both Eastern and Western Han Dynasties. He put forward the dialectical point of view that the three factors "will, words and text" are the use of each other. He evaluated Five-words-poems with his poetic view that writing poem should be based on emotion. He also raised his aesthetic concept that beautiful things are not beautiful by themselves. They are beautiful only when they are related to human beings.Classic writing practice is the largest contribution that Dugu Ji made. An article should reveal the good and evil, be good at argumentation, discuss political affairs and other things with the classical style, write what has happened and express emotions. In terms of such tasks of an article, he expanded the performance space of prose. Liang Su selected and promoted in annual examination eight candidates such as Han Yu, and by this way, lead the orientation of attaching importance to classics and thinking highly of Confucianism. He didn't negate Qu Yuan and Song Yu, nor did he negate prose. And he put forward the relationship between Dao, Qi and words. Liang Su's articles, evaluate the heroes with moral standard while writing about a figure, clarify the facts while writing about a thing. His articles are both state and elegant, and refined and far-reaching. And while expressing emotion, his articles are objective and mild, full of both rhetoric and emotion.From Xiao Yingshi, Li Hua to Dugu Ji and Liang Su, a generation to generation and group to group conscious inheritance process took shape. Their viewpoint about classics offers a guiding idea for article writing. And they criticized the hollowness of Pianwen and therefore their works focus on important ideological, political and theoretical issues. Their writings are the implication of their theory. And their writings are characterized by solid quotations from classics and rigorous argumentations.