The Research Of Women’s Literature Of Hunan On The Qing Dynasty

Hunan Nvshi Shichao, selectively edited by Mao Guoji and Mao Guohan in 1834, reflects the historical development of feminist literature in Hunan since Ming Dynasty. It contributes greatly to the study of feminist literature and regional literature collection in China.Among feminist literature in early and mid Qing Dynasty, poems written on the eve of death were created frequently and depicted a grieved literature atmosphere. This category of poems actually reflects the attitude of female poets, poem collectors and readers in that period expressing ethic opinions though poems. As women and literate families had access to higher education, women literate families with poetic consciousness were gradually formed. Moreover, after three female poets, Jiang Fengqin, Dai Shan, and Fang Yao, moved into Hunan because of marriage, cultural communications among various regions was accelerated. Some autobiographical poems, historical poems, argumentative poems created by female poets expressed their unique insights regarding fame, fortune and life. Gradually, ethic poems were transformed into literary pursuits families.Women’s ethnic roles as a daughter, a wife and a mother greatly impacted their attitude towards composition and choice of topics. Those roles also dominated their composition topics. Poems from a daughter’s perspective focused on talented women who died young and the responsibility as a daughter to take over and enhance family cultural heritage. Wang Yaochuang and Wang Qichuang, behaved like a dutiful daughter as an excuse to avoid marriage. This attitude was unique and full of femininist thoughts during that period. Poems extolling the role of a wife depicted how women balanced between being virtuous and being beautiful. They also focused on the social recognition that wives gained from their husbands and their society. As for poems from a mother’s perspective, their abundant existences showed the importance of women in family cultural education and inheritance. Moreover, poems for sons written by female poets showed some women expected their sons to be well-rounded and even discouraged them to pursue fortune and fame by Imperial Examination. Those poems successfully depicted an image of a benevolent mother.The Guo Family of Xiangtan, a women group created by the first generation feminist Guo Buyun and the first Jinshi Guo Yunlu, was the most outstanding women literature family in the early and mid Qing Dynasty, and it was also a well-known family in national elite culture circle. Xiangtan Guoshi Guixiuji, compiled and published by Guo Runyu in 1837, contained poems of seven women in fourth generations of the Guo Family, reflecting important contributions of women to their family heritage and growing influence. During this process, the marriage of two talented poets, Li Xingyuan and Guo Runyu, played a key role. They collaborated to compose the Wushengguan Lianyin ChuJi, which became a widely known story at the time. Therefore, Guo Runyu was also recognized by the national first-class cultural circle and was mentioned by many feminist poetry and poetic criticism. With the transmission of Guo Runyu’s romantic story and poetic talent, the influence of the Guo Family and the female members had also further expanded.