Studies On The Non-dramatic Songs Of Zhu You-dun

Among the research on the ancient poetry, the non-dramatic songs seldom draw people's attention, while in the non-dramatic songs research, that of the Ming and Qing dynasties are the least concerned. As a representative of the early Ming writers, Zhu You-dun and his non-dramatic songs play an essential role and have the most influential impact on the latter generations.Under so complicated and risky political surroundings, along with his rich and zigzag family experience, Zhu You-dun, a powerful prince, began his career of playwriting. It is unavoidable that his writings bear the impact of the emperor politics.According to the thoughts implied, this thesis divides his non-dramatic songs into five categories, which are discussed separately. There is neither writing of high words and deep thoughts nor feeling sorry for himself in the "flower praising non-dramatic songs" of his. Most of this category shows the enjoyment of "appreciating the flowers and wine drinking". Although in different varieties, the key to his scenery and feast toasting writings is nothing but the embarrassment and wandering of his deep thoughts living in a respected and rich world. In the non-dramatic-songs of Zhu You-dun concerning love and warnings to the world, he mainly focuses a serious insight on lower position with the sensitivity of a good writer. His writings of this category either praise the talents and beauty of the bad-fated women or shows his sympathy towards to their unlucky family and evil opportunity, which show some humanism and modernism in one way. On the other hand, he acts as a moral tutor to teach the moral standards to the ordinary people, which should be appreciated by us modern people. There are a good varieties saying high of good feelings with delicate writing and deep thoughts, which are great art achievements.As a prince, Zhu You-dun bears some air of the emperor's family. For the influence of the popular "Officialese Style" at that time, Zhu You-dun's non-dramatic songs are harmoniously rhythm and classic patterned, which forms his art characteristic of elegance and harmony. There are sequences of songs and music reform, writings of expressing feelings in particular, which bears the non-dramatic songs writers' wiring style of Yuan dynasty.As a whole, Zhu You-dun's non-dramatic songs can not compare with the great song writers of the Yuan and Ming Dynasty. However, in the particular times, there is a particular value in his non-dramatic songs writings. Tamed by the emperor's power and neo-confucianism of Cheng-Zhu, the talented writers in the early Ming dynasty tried their best to get promoted, who have no spare time to make any effort on songs and poetry writing. From the late Yongle period to Xuande and Zhengtong period, there is only one influential branch of non-dramatic songs, as a non-dramatic writer with so great influence of a hundred years in the early Ming dynasty, Zhu You-dun plays a big role in the development of non-dramatic songs.