Study Of The Nandu Song Ci

The Jingkang Catastrophe has become a remarkable turning point in Chinese history during the Song Dynasty. The impact of the great change has not only disturbed the already chaotic political and economical situations, but also peoples' minds and psychological view. Our deeply-tooted ideas about life are experiencing a powerful challenge and taking on a whole new outlook. Ci, a delicate tool to express subtle emotions, has found its place in the early Southern Song Dynasty. Its unique artistic charm has exceeded the limitation of space and time. It has pressed on our minds and made us reconsider the value and meaning of life. Mr. Xia Chengtao remarked: "Ci during the Song Dynasty in the period of Jianyan and Shaoxing (The title of an emperor's reign in Song Dynasty) has shared its equal value with the poetry in the period of Kaiyuan and Tianbao during the Tang Dynasty." Such statement does remind us to reappraise the status of Ci circle in the early Southern Song Dynasty. It's a pity, however, that the idea has long been overlooked.It was not until the 1980s that works on Ci circle in the early Southern Song Dynasty came to being. Among those the first work, The Study on Ci-poets in South Migration of Song Dynasty, was done by Mr. Huang WenJi. The work has affirmed the importance of Ci circle in the early Southern Song Dynasty. Another work, The history of Ci in the Tang and Song Dynasty, by Mr. Yang HaiMing, has dedicated to the Ci circle in the early Southern Song Dynasty with a whole chapter. The work has displayed the pluralistic aspects in Ci circle during that period. As a result, the Ci circle of that time has received immense attention from then on. In the 1990s Mr. Wang ZhaoPeng completed The Study on the Ci-poets in South Migration of Song Dynasty. He has initiated some new ideas in analyzing the Ci circle in the early Southern Song Dynasty. He thinks the history of Ci is developed on the changes of Fanshi(范式), and DongPo Fanshi (东坡范式)has developed in the early Southern Song Dynasty. Mr. Tao ErFu and Mrs. Liu Jin-Qi coauthored The history ofCi in the Southern Song Dynasty. Mr. Liu YangZhong wrote The history of schools of Ci in Tang and Song Dynasty. Both of the works have dedicated special chapters to studying on the Ci circle of South Migration of Song Dynasty.On the basis of studying the above-mentioned works, we begin to unveil the style and features of Ci circle in the early Southern Song Dynasty. We try our best to reproduce in its real color the status and influence of Ci of that period in the history of Ci.The essay is divided into seven chapters.Chapter one discusses on Ci-poets. Studying some works by Zhang Yuangan, Ye Mengde, Xiang Ziyin, Zhou Zizhi, Chen Yuyi and Kang Yuzhi as representatives of that era, we come to a better understanding about how the changeover of government had also changed their way of thinking as a result of adopting and innovating the Ci style in the Northern Song Dynasty.Chapter two discusses the style of Ci. The Yi'an Style, Xizhen Style and WuCai Style showed great achievements on Ci circle of the Early Southern Song Dynasty. The purpose of creating Ci poetry was no longer to entertain guests but rather, to speak one's mind. It was so characteristic of the scholars and officials at that time to express their self-being and romantic feelings.Chapter three discusses about the themes of Ci. The essay classifies them into six themes during that period. The most remarkable feature of Ci of that time is that no feminine delicacy is ever a theme in the poets' works. Most of the works express the sad emotions over the division oftheir country and the loss of people. The Ci-poets and their works in the early Southern Song Dynasty have established the foundation for the prosperity of the Ci circle in the middle Southern Song Dynasty.Chapter four discusses the style and features of Ci. The theme of the Ci circle in the Early Southern Song Dynasty can be summarized as "detached sadness". The passionate indignation, depression and melanchol...