Northern Song Dynasty And Political Lyrical

The thesis takes the political lyrics of the Northern Song Dynasty Ci (hereafter named Song Ci) as the research object, mainly to be expatiated in eight chapters.Chapter One discusses the historical origins and the literary tradition concerned with Song Ci. All the way from the Per-Qin, Han, Wei, and Jin Dynasties, to the Northern and Southern Dynasties, Chinese literature paid interests in politics, reflected politics, which in turn had great effects on the development of literature-it is the objective existing state and the basic characteristics of Chinese literature. Therefore, politics is an ever-lasting element in Chinese literary works, in which the writer's political thoughts are conveyed, and political feelings expressed. Besides, literature before the Song Dynasty, either poetry or prose, had set examples for Song Ci and provided referent materials for the further development of Song Ci in writing motives, ideas and techniques of expression.Chapter Two tends to have a thorough discussion of the social background of Song Ci. With the heightened literati's political participation, the Northern Song Dynasty faced a gradually-deepened political autocracy mainly represented in the frequentness and deterioration of political struggles between different parties. In the long, trampolining and wide-range political struggles, a number of the literati experienced political ups and downs, and changeable lives-most even had been demoted for many times, Huang Tingjian was one. The endless political struggle in the Northern Song Dynasty contributed to the author's new understanding on the function of Song Ci. Su Shi and Huang Ting-jian were typical representatives.Three to Five chapters are focused on Song Ci's content and development. The political lyrics can be divided into three periods, namely, the emerging period, the flourishing period, and the declining period. The representatives of the first period are Fan Zhong-yan, Ou Yang-xiu and Liu Yong; the second period, Su Shi, Wang An-shi, Qin Guan, Huang Ting-jian, Chao Bu-zhi, Chen Shi-dao, and He Zhu, etc.; the third period, Zhou Bang-yan, Chao Duan-li, Wang An-zhong, and Mao Pang. Their political lyrics either expressed all kinds of complicated feelings that arose from their political life or showed admiration for the country's political situation. Of course, such praise did not reflect the real situation at that time.Chapter Six engages in the artistic expression of Song Ci:Firstly, on the diverse range of subjects including history, things, politicians and politics, reclusion (back into the mountains or rural areas to avoid politics); secondly, on the image selection; thirdly, on the form of artistic expression.Chapter Seven goes to the far-reaching impact of Song Ci on later generations. The impact is mainly manifested in the following areas:the lyrical spirit, the technique of expression, and the subject choice, etc. Two poets, one is Jiang Kui and the other is Su Shi, are chosen to discuss the impact of Song Ci on the Southern Song Dynasty and then the Jin Dynasty. For example, due to different reasons, Su Shi's lyrics had always enjoyed a very high status, and been accepted widely by the Jin Dynasty's literati, such as Cai Song-nian, Yuan Hao-wen etc.Chapter Eight tends to do case study. Fourteen works are thoroughly discussed from the aspects of theme, lyrical nature, social background, and even the technique innovation, etc.