The Study On Ci Of Hong Kuo

Hong Kuo went through the reign of both Gao Zong and Xiao Zong. He was famous for literature at that time and was well known as writer of inscriptions on ancient bronzes and stone tablets and parallel prose, poet and writer in the first years of the Southern Song Dynasty. He had 138 ci poems left, many of which were for the meetings and parties, some for singing and dancing, and considerable number for birthday congratulation and expressing feelings. The contents are rich and the subjects are diverse. This paper savors thoroughly the contents of his ci poems and explains his inner world by putting him back into his life space and considering his times background and bitter experiences. Considering the style in the circle of ci poets in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty it also analyzes deeply the artistic features of his ci poems so that it fully demonstrates its characteristics. This paper is divided into four chapters.The introduction mainly introduces the present situation and significance of the study of Hong Kuo's ci poems.The first chapter is about Hong Kuo's life experiences and ci creation. There are two sections. The first section introduces Hong Kuo's biography summarizing his life experiences. The good family's social standing and tradition influenced him greatly. He was very intelligent in childhood and led his brothers to study together. From 1143 when he took the post of Tongpan in Taizhou to 1157 Hong Kuo was banished from and dismissed office, which was his dark time for both politics and life. From 1158 to 1168 he stepped into the political arena again and displayed his talent. From 1168 when retiring to live in the country to 1184 when he died, he secluded in Poyang and amused himself and never became an official again. The second section introduces Hong Kuo's ci creation. From the titles and the names and places mentioned in the ci poems, it can be concluded that the poems were mainly created during three periods, that is, the time when living in Taizhou, Yingzhou and Panzhou. The ci poems were mainly for presenting and expressing feelings.The second chapter is about the contents and themes of Hong Kuo's ci poems and is divided into four sections: poems sentimental for spring and autumn, poems for parting and missing, poems grieving for aging and the poems congratulating birthday, which indicate the life experience as well as social significance. In the first section, Hong Kuo's ci poems about spring and autumn express his regretting the passing of spring scenery and sighing for the soughing of autumn scenery as well as his life experiences initiated by the change of nature. In the second section, the ci poems mainly express the feelings of parting and missing and imply his sorrow about the sad life. The ci poems about missing show his longing for the hometown and pursuing the enjoyable life. In the third section, the ci poems written when he lived in Panzhou in his later years express his sighing for the seclusion and unsuccessful political career, which shows his concern about the country and the people. In the fourth section, most of the birthday poems are used to wish the person whose birthday is celebrated wealth, immortal and good luck. Most of the images are turtle, crane, pine, Chinese toon and so on, which have the characteristics of the birthday ci poems in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty.The third chapter is about Hong Kuo's ci poems of lianzhang style for singing and dancing. There are two sets of lianzhang style, Panyu Tiaoxiao and Yu Jia Ao Yin in the first volume of his Panzhou qu, one set Sheng Cha Zi Panzhou qu in the third volume, one set of gu chui qu in the eighteenth volume of Panzhou Collection. This chapter focuses on the study of their writing style and contents. The first section is about "tiaoxiao zhuanta Panyu Tiaoxiao". Panyu Tiaoxiao is zhuanta ci poems for singing and dancing, which sing about ten local scenic spots and imply Hong Kuo's emotions and thoughts. The second section is about poems for singing and dancing Yu Jia Ao Yin, which sing about the life of a fisherman in a year and build a free and natural lofty state. They portray a willful, free and self-content fisherman who lives in the real space while surpasses the reality. The third section is "guzi ci Sheng Cha Zi Panzhou qu" sung at the small banquets. They are about the beautiful scenery throughout the year in Panzhou. They also describe the different parties and activities held by the poet with the change of time, which show his ease of body and mind. The fourth section is about fuchui qu. There are five pieces of guchui qu left which record the time and occasion of applying guchui qu and the situation of sacrificial rites in the suburbs and reflect the performance of guchui in the Song Dynasty.The fourth chapter is about the style and artistic characteristics of Hong Kuo's ci poems. It has two sections and narrates from two aspects: pursuit of elegance and elaboration. In the first section, the wording and contents of the ci poems are analyzed. Hong Kuo pursued elegance in wording. He used the set phrases of the predecessors' discarding slangs; he also used the allusions which were plain in words and rich in meaning and substitute words which were implicit and aesthetic. The ci poems are characterized by simplicity and elegance. That shows his refined temperament and interest in plain life. The poet's feelings are involved in the description of scenery, which reflects his pursuit of a secluded and plain life. In the second section, the ci poems are analyzed from four aspects, that is, the theme, the picture, the image and the state. The materials of the poems come mainly from the daily life, natural, real and interesting. The scenery and situations are briefly described which shows such features as sparse, lucid and elegant. The images tend to be natural and exquisite and most of the state built in the poems is quiet, peaceful and simple.Hong Kuo's ci has not only the general character in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty but also his individual features. They provide a large number of materials for the study of ci in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty. Influenced by traditional ideas, Hong Kuo paid attention to ci's functions of entertainment and expressing feelings. It reflected that the two functions were recognized by the circle of ci poems at that time. On the other hand, due to the influence of specific atmosphere of the age, they also displayed the social intercourse function, which reflected the situation of yingsheci in the circle of ci at that time. Hong Kuo's ci poems for singing and dancing provide massive materials for the study of the ci poems for singing and dancing in the early years of the Southern Song Dynasty.