A Study Of Seven-character-line Poetry Of The Han Dynasty

Previous studies on seven-character-line poetry are chiefly focused on its source. This thesis, which makes a more systematic and comprehensive study on seven-character-line poetry at its beginning stages of the Han Dynasty on the basis of previous researches, consists of three parts.Part One is textual research of seven-character-line poetry in the Han Dynasty. After a general discussion on seven-character-line poetry of the Han Dynasty, it has a comparatively systematic study on different kinds of seven-character-line poetry, such as seven-character-line of Chu folk song style, of inscription on bronze mirror in the Han Dynasty, of intellectuals, and seven-character-line folk songs and proverbs. Seven-character-line poetry of Chu folk songs style does not have its regular pattern yet. But since it gets its momentum between the Han Dynasty, and it was spread widely, holding a high position, its rhythm and rhyme are the same as other seven-character-line poetry, so it imposes a great influence on the development of seven-character-line poetry. Its heavy lyrical tone lays the basis for the lyrical feature of intellectual seven-character-line poetry. As to seven-character-line poetry of inscription on bronze mirror in the Han Dynasty, this section makes a comprehensive discussion on its thoughts, its development process, spreading regions, and its characteristics on the basis of the conviction that it can be called poetry. In the section of intellectual seven-character-line poetry, a diachronical discussion is devoted to the development of seven-character-line poetry at its different phases in the Han Dynasty through the analysis of work of representive writers in different periods of the Han Dynasty. Seven-character-line folk songs and proverbs and other forms of seven-character-line verse are of great significance to a thorough understanding of seven-character-line poetry of the Han Dynasty.Part Two trances back to the source of seven-character-line poetry of the Han Dynasty. On the basis of previous study, it makes a specific one on the corresponding documents of the pre-Qin Dynasty period. It points out the influence of both Qu-sao and ChengXiangZaCi on seven-character-line poetry in the Han Dynasty as well as the possibility of changing them into seven-character-line poetry. Set in the cultural background of seven-character-line poetry in the Han Dynasty, Chu folk songs can be regarded as the direct source of seven-character-linepoetry of that period, while the other works have direct or indirect influence on its formation and development.Part Three deals with the evolution of seven-character-line poetry of the Han Dynasty. Historically, the evolution can be devided into the earlier and later periods. The earlier period refers to the Wei and Jin Dynasties, and it is the imitation period of seven-character-line poetry of the Han Dynasty, during which the poetry developed into its goregous style. The later period refers to the Northern and Southern Dynasties.The breakthrough in form of seven-character-line poetry of the Han Dynasty, that is, the emergence and development of rhyme pattern in every other line, lay a solid foundation for the prospery of seven-character-line poetry of the Tang Dynasty.