Comparative Studies On Ouyang Xiu And Su Shi's Poetics

Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi are two stars in the literature in the Northern Song Dynasty, and they brought brilliance into the literature of the dynasty. As the representatives of the Song poetry, Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi's poetics exude the cultural essence of the whole period of the Northern Song, and their theoretical fashion represents the maturity of the Song Culture. Only by the means of understanding their world of thought, can we have the perspective of the strategic advantage of a glance of small hills. Thus, the significance and value of comparatively studying Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi's poetics should not only be viewed from the perspective of poetics itself, but from a larger perspective of the cultural meaning and moods of intellectuals. From the comparative study, we could find the formation and evolution of some typical characteristics of Song poetry. And this also helps us to gain an all-around and profound understanding of some essential features of Song poetry. This paper, based on contemporary social background and cultural background, as well as the creation tendency and the aesthetic pursuit, conducts a comprehensively comparative study on Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi's poetics, aiming at getting right the deep features of their poetics.It is dealt with in the following several parts:The first part, starting from the high morale and the genius of realism in early Northern Song Dynasty, interprets the grand aspirations embodied in the poets, with the aim of better understanding their poetics. Then, this part is to explain their strong social and political responsibility on the country and people, and its influence on their poetic creation.Through the study on the culture from the early Song to Yuan You on the academic evolution, as well as the influence of the Northern Song-centered spirit on the poetry, the second part provides a profound research into Ouyang Xiu and Su Shi's poetics. So far, this aspect has not got its deserved attention.Part three is about the lofty and elegant poetics. Cultivation of the books, art and academics brought the people in Song Dynasty in humanistic atmosphere. humanistic activities are the main part in intellectuals'lives in Song Dynasty. The humanistic images like music, chess, calligraphy and painting, or pen, ink, paper and Yan, or gold stones and antiques, or clothes and utensils, or gardens and pavilions are always heard in the chants of the people in Song Dynasty. From Ouyang Xiu's poems, we could notice some attention has been paid to the humanistic images. In Su Shi's poems, the humanistic images have overwhelmingly taken the place of the natural images.Part four deals with the pursuit of Ouyang Xiu and Su shi on the novel meaning and crafty wording. Ouyang Xiu seeks the novel meaning and crafty wording on the poems, and emphasizes that poems should not only have the unique imagery, but also profound language. Su Shi, besides the pursuit of the novel meaning and crafty wording, also put forward the theory of artistic integration, combining various kinds of arts into a whole. For example, there is painting in the poem, poem in painting. Through the detailed comparison and explanation, that Su Shi has inherited and transcended Ouyang Xiu has been clearly seen.