Yongzhen Reform And The Literature In Mid-Tang Dynasty

The relationship between politics and literature has been a long-lasting topic inthe research of ancient Chinese literature. It is not by accident that literature in TangDynasty booms for the second time following Yongzhen Reform which is animportant political event in the history of Mid-Tang Dynasty.Han Yu,LiuZongyuan,Liu Yuxi,Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen were representatives in the prosperousphase of Mid-Tang Dynasty,meantime,as the intellectuals of feudal times,they wereall connected with Yongzhen Reform.So they inhered the referential meaning inresearching the relationship between Yongzhen Reform and literature.The objects ofresearch in this essay are such representatives in literature as Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi,Bai Juyi, Yuan Zhen and Han Yu and their works. This essay begins with YongzhenReform and is based on the different relationship which they were connected with theReform. At the same time,it discusses the influence which Yongzhen Reformgenerated on social psychology especially their life attitude and literature ,andanalyzes the political motivation of the literary boom of the literature in Mid-TangDynasty so that more comprehensive and deeper understanding of the relationshipbetween politics and literature can be achieved. Part One: Yongzhen Reform Yongzhen Reform postponed the reform attempts in Tang Dezong and reflectedsynthetically the reform wish before.Its scale was larger and the range was wider.Soits social influence was deeper.Xianzong hated the people used by Shunzong,but hefollowed the spirit and the route of Yongzhen Reform,and constituted his strategies tomanage state affairs.The important role of Yongzhen Reform as a connecting linkbetween the preceding and the following resulted its wide and far-reaching influence. Part Two: The Intellectuals under the Background of Yongzhen Reform In the background of reforming in Mid-Tang Dynasty,the scholars weren'tindifferent. Liu Zongyuan, Liu Yuxi, Bai Juyi, Yuan Zhen and Han Yu entered thepolitical field in Dezong times.The current of reforming raised their politicalenthusiam.They had relationship with Yongzhen Reform in different degree.LiuZongyuan and Liu Yuxi were direct participants. Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen werebeholders while Han Yu was far away from the capital and more like an outlier,evensome complains. Yongzhen Reform was all connected with their life. Because of this, Yongzhen Reform made a notable impact not only on their lifebut also on their literature. Part Three:The Influence ofYongzhen Reform on the Literature in Mid-Tang Dynasty (â… )Abuse of politics which Yongzhen Reform wanted to solve still existed,but the spirit of Yongzhen Reform came down.While they were reforming thereality,they used the literature as the supplement of reforming. Writers shifted theirintense political thoughts into their works. As far as the style of expression wereconcerned, Liu Zongyuan and Liu Yuxi were more reserved, while Bai Juyi, YuanZhen and Han Yu were more frank and direct. This was associated with their differentrelationship with Yongzhen Reform. (â…¡)The reform needed to put in price.Their enthusiasm of reform wasconfronted with ruthless blow and being demeaned changes their living environment,their attitude towards life and their mentality. Their works registered the feeling offull-bodied discontentment. Owing to their different relationship with YongzhenReform, their different charater, different attitude towards life and other reasons, thediscontentment of Liu Zongyuan was the strongest. The works by Liu Yuxi borericher subject matters. Leisure and comfortable temper were more shown in the worksof Bai Juyi and Yuan Zhen while indignation was seen in the works by Han Yu. The above-mentioned two aspects were the direct influence of Yongzhen Reformon literature.As the above content,the literature behind Yongzhen Reform reflectednew changes in some degree,contrasted to the literature in Dali and Zhenyuan times. (â…¢)Studying at more extensive level,the development of literature itself hadintense contact with Yongzhen Reform. Firstly, the requirements...