Zheng Xiaoxu Poetry

This paper comprises five parts.The First chapter-family background and source of knowledge. The chapter mainly discusses the growing environment of Zheng Xiaoxu. Fujian, a town with heavy and initiative Li principle atmosphere, is attributable to his personality, which is both conservative and talkative. Talents emerged one generation after another in Fujian area in the modern era and Zheng Xiaoxu aquires himself political experience and reputation in poetic field successfully by making full use of the sophiscated interpersonal relationships there. This paper puts emphasis on the influence of the family to Zheng Xiaoxu's literary career and his attitude towards life. The family of Zheng isn't conspicuous though, they still highly value literary education. For instance, He Yuying, four generations prior to Zheng Xiaoxu, and Lin Kui, Zheng's uncle can both compose poems winningly. Zheng Shigong, the younger brother of his grandfather is renowned for his profound knowledge while Zheng's father, Zheng Shoulian writes Ci poetry perfectly. Family edification inspires Zheng Xiaoxu to take literature as his lifelong career and he longs for success with great ardor due to the difficulties encountered by his family members in their pursuit of official careers. Appart from these, this chapter also deals with the impact on Zheng Xiaoxu from the family of Wu and refutes the remarks concerning the relationship between Zheng and his wife made by Chen Yan in his Shi Speech.The second chapter, variation of thoughts and poetry writing. Thanks to his abundant experience, Zheng Xiaoxu's poems are rich and colourful. This chapter combines all the events occurred in his life, explores his variation in thoughts and sums up his poems written in various periods. Zheng cuts a figure in his youth and gains self-partiality later on. However, he is frustrated by the frequent failure in imperial examinations. These experiences set the mood of his work, which shows strong aspiration to put his talent into good use and on the other hand reveals his severe despair to reality. His expectation for recognition makes him absorbed in a long pursuit for promotion until he is appreciated by Li Jingfang for his talent ineconomy and is appointed to be a Chinese envoy in Japan. He takes advantage of that opportunity to understand new policy and outside world better and serves in Zhang Zhidong's shogun after returning to China. He is highly regarded by his superior and gives consultations on such issues as military, finance and railway. He receives a commission in 1903 and becomes the officer of frontier defence in Guangxi province. Three years' sojourn in Longzhen sees him having a clear mind on the corruption of the Qing dynasty. Therefore, he devotes himself fully into the constitutional preparation, hoping to retrieve the situation by way of constitutional monarchy. During the reign of emperor Xuantong, he collaborates with Sheng Xuanhuai in the plot of "statelizing railway", which results in the abdication of the Qing dynasty. He regards himself as a significant elder and plays an active role in restoration after Xinhai Revolution. He becomes utterly discredited and despised since 1923, when he holds the ex-emperor Puyi under duress.The third chapter-poetic artistry. Tongguang style, the most influential poetic style at the end of Qing dynasty and beginning of Republic of China(establish in 1911), is advocated by Zheng Xiaoxu. He remains to be an elite and accompanies the style all along its vicissitude. This chapter explores the relation between Zheng Xiaoxu and Tongguang style, illustrates Zheng's artistic charateristics by means of indicating his poetic priciples and sources of learning and emphasizes his own feature which derives from good qualities from all quarters. Zheng Xiaoxu develops a school of his own. Criticism pertaining to Zheng Xiaoxu, especially Nan She's debates, is included in the end.The fourth chapter-The style of Haicang. Zheng Xiaoxu is a representative of Qingcang style. This chapter analyzes the impact on Zheng Xiao...