The Research On Wang Ji’s Reception Of Tao Yuan-ming

The current study adopts the research method of reception aesthetics, whichoriginated in1960s and put forward a reader-centered reception theory. Out of thetheory this study first summed up such features of literature recept ion as beingconditional, comprehensive, mobile and dynamic, which then served as the theoreticalbasis for discussing over Wang Ji, the poet in the early Tang dynasty, for his receptionof Tao Yuanming. The ultimate goal of this study is to contribute a comprehensiveand in-depth understanding of the poets, Wang Ji and Tao Yuan-ming, and their workstogether with the historical development of Chinese literature in that particularperiod.There are several important factors that constitute the background of Wang Ji’saccepting Tao Yuan-ming, including the wide spread of The Complete Works of TaoYuan-ming, the similarity between Wang’s historical and home environments andTao’s, and the influence from the group of scholars researching on Tao in theNorthern dynasties and the Sui dynasty. Against this background, Wang Ji acceptedmany aspects of Tao Yuan-ming such as Tao’s philosophic thoughts, life style andpoetry creation.As for Wang’s reception of Tao’s philosophic thoughts, Wang inherited Tao’spursuit of truth by trying to return to the self and to the ancient times, adopted Tao’slife attitude of obeying cultural changes and weakening the difference between lifeand death, and accepted Tao’s life philosophy of conquering solitary and convertingsolitary into self-ease.As for Wang’s reception of Tao’s life style, Wang admired Tao’s pursuinghappiness by living and enjoying fine wine in a remote cottage, and followed the suitof Tao’s resigning from his post as an unhappy governor and enjoying a quiet l ife inthe countryside with a full freedom of sightseeing and drinking fine wine.As for Wang’s reception of Tao’s poetry creation, Wang frequently quoted Tao’sname, sayings and poems in his own works. Besides, Wang inherited Tao’s concept ofviewing literature and arts as a medium for self-expressing and self-entertaining,followed Tao’s choice of countryside life, fine wine and historical events as the majortopics in poems, and adopted Tao’s delicate poetic style together with his variousliterary styles such as poetry, fu, ji, zhuan, wen and zan.In conclusion, Wang Ji made great achievements through his reception of Tao Yuan-ming. On the one hand, Wang contributed a lot to the history of accepting TaoYuan-ming, for he unprecedentedly accepted almost all aspects of Tao, includingTao’s life stories, literary works, philosophical thoughts, life style and poetry creation.Wang even formed a habit of frequently mentioning the Peach-Blossom Spring in hispoems, which, together with his creative adoption of the image of enjoying fine wine,provided strong supports to the establishment of Peach-Blossom Spring as the modelof an ideal society. Wang also adopted in his own works many images from Tao’spoems, which helped further the symbolization and canonization of Tao’s poeticimages. On the other hand, Wang Ji also contributed a lot to the history of literature,for he took the initiative in using Tang yin, combining the landscape literature withthe pastoral poetry, exploring the living style from tian yin (being a real hermit in theremote countryside) to li yin (pursuing the spirit of a hermit while holding a post inthe government), and inherited the tradition of writing poems about drinking finewine. It is undeniable that Wang Ji’s times is fundamentally different from the darkand disorderly times of Tao Yuan-ming’s, so that some of his unruly behaviors lacksthe same historical significance as Tao’s; besides, since Wang did not really work onthe farm and live a grassroots life, his thoughts and deeds are indicative of a tendencyof negatively fleeing away from the reality so that his achievement is on the wholeinferior to Tao’s.