Life Naturally Infatuated

Ou Yangxiu was the leader in the literary world of the North Song Dynasty and he was also the leader of Poem and Writing Innovation Campaign of the North Song Dynasty. As a great master of the time, Ou Yangxiu discussed political affairs which showed his sense of responsibility on his country and people. In his Ci he expressed his care lovesickness and enjoyment of traveling and drinking. He was mixed both by the dignity of a great master and the passion of genius paradoxically. This paper attempts to discuss four aspects respectively: his Love Ci, Amorous Ci, Mountains and Rivers Ci and Wine-drinking Ci, from which we can probe into his deep feeling character.Among the Ci of Ou Yangxiu, works about love reached over one half. These Ci divides into two types in content: Love Ci and Amorous Ci. They are different in style, some of them are very elegant, and some are vulgar. The elegant type is far away from sexual desire, and shows pure feelings, which is called Love Ci. The vulgar type includes both deep feelings and sexual desire, which is called Amorous Ci. The people he describes in his Love Ci and Amorous Ci are mostly women. He had a deep understanding on female psychology, so he can describe them with consideration and sympathy, which makes readers see clearly their inner world, rather than just appreciate them as works of art. This shows a passionate poet's sympathetic attitude and great interest towards female fate.Ou Yangxiu also had many Mountains and Rivers Ci. He was close to nature and loved mountains and rivers in his life. When he was assumed post in Luoyang for the first time, he traveled a lot of places ofinterest and enjoyed mountains and rivers, and he wrote many poems to express his joy. In his following official career, the beauty of mountains and rivers and the enjoyment of travel became strength of supporting and consoling him while he met with frustration. After he retired, he lived at West Lake in Yingzhou, he comprehended "the way of nature" and began his leisurable life.Ou Yangxiu paid great attention to wine besides mountains and rivers. His fond of wine was similar with previous persons of virtue, "his drunkenness is not caused by wine". In his Wine-drinking Ci we can discover his deep passion through surface of wine-drinking. These Ci showed his political frustration, his love for life, his cherishment for friendship, his sentimental attachment for nature and earthy life to the full.