| This is a study of the representation of sovereignty in the poetic (as well as political) writings of Taizong (r. 626--649), the second emperor of the Tang dynasty. Though Taizong's poetry cannot compare to the works of more distinguished early Tang writers, it is nevertheless important from the standpoints of traditional literary thought, rhetoric, and political theory. Taizong foregrounds the problem of imperial self-representation in his poetry, a theme that is shared in his political writings and speeches. His central concern is the imperial body, which, according to traditional Chinese political theory, is the site of potentially destructive drives and desires. Taizong's solution is to negate the body by representing himself in a language of askesis, of self-denial.; The thesis is divided into three parts. In the first part I treat the early theory of sovereignty as seen through three concepts: kinship, ritual, and the body. In the second part, I examine the way in which poetry enters into imperial discourse, through the analysis of Han fu, Southern Dynasties palace-style poetry, and the writings of the second Sui emperor, Yangdi (r. 605--617). These first two parts provide the necessary context in which to understand the issues behind Taizong's rhetoric and self-representations. In the last section, I analyze Taizong's edicts and speeches, and provide a detailed reading of his poem-cycle, "The Imperial Capital."... |
