Research Of The Northern Dynasties' Reclusive Literature

As a unique element of traditional Chinese culture, reclusive culture has been a concern of Chinese people. As a carrier by which ancient Chinese intellectuals expressed their reclusive thoughts, reclusive literature faithfully reflected the ancient intellectuals'living condition and mental experience. It can be seen from the literary texts handed down from the Northern Dynasties that there are elements related to reclusion in many literary works of the Northern Dynasties, showing that reclusive thoughts were well inherited under the influence of Han culture in the Northern Dynasties in which the minority nationalities and Han nationality were gradually integrated into each other, with important effects brought to the literati's mentality and creation of literature.Based closely on these texts, this paper explored the reclusive culture of the Northern Dynasties from a literary perspective. On the basis of reviewing the overseas and domestic research status of this topic, clarifying the research value and thought of this topic, and expounding the source of research data and innovations, this paper defined the concept of "reclusive literature", and determined the scope of the "reclusive literature of the Northern Dynasties". It then gave an overview of the historical and cultural background of the Northern Dynasties, investigated the learned hermits'deeds in the Northern Dynasties, and explained the reason why reclusive thoughts could be formed in that age from a political, economical, military and cultural perspective. Afterwards, the paper discussed the development status of reclusive literature in the Northern Dynasties and the intellectuals'mental experience in the creation of reclusive literature through an intensive reading of the reclusive poems, essays and prose poems as well as other reclusive literature of the Northern Dynasties in accordance with different literary genres. The intellectuals'direct expression of their aspiration for seclusion, euphemistic expression of their wish for seclusion with admiration for the previous hermits, association with hermits, expression of their pursuit of reclusion through immortals'celestial roam, approval of others'reclusive behavior, and sarcasm and revelation of false hermits, as well as the ruling class'expression of their intention to look for and solicit hermits, formed the diverse contents of the reclusive literature created in the Northern Dynasties. This part is also the core of the whole paper.Finally, this paper summed up the ideological values and artistic characteristics of the reclusive literature of the Northern Dynasties, concluding that the reclusive literature of the Northern Dynasties came into being under the double action of Han culture and minority culture. Due to the native intellectuals'gradual acceptance of Han culture and the southern intellectuals'absorption of the nutrition from minority culture, the reclusive literature of the Northern Dynasties made unceasing progress on the road to gentleness, giving out realistic brilliant light of thoughts, showing a strong consciousness of life, and revealing a sentimental mood. The northern and southern cultural essence contained in this way of literary creation profoundly influenced the later scholars'concept of values and way of literary writing, laying a solid foundation for the great progress of literature in Sui and Tang dynasties.