| Bao Zhao, with Xie Lingyun and Yan Yanzhi, is called one of the three masters of the Yuanjia period (424-453). Of all three, Bao remains the most controversial. Owing to his difficult language, his works have been downright unpopular in modern times, yet there is no doubt about the importance of Bao's poetry in preparing the climactic poetic blooming of the Tang Dynasty.;My approach to Bao is both historical and comparative. In studying each genre among his works, I first trace its history and then compare his works with those of previous writers. My thesis opens with a critical Introduction. Chapter One is a literary biography of Bao that focuses on presenting a lively picture of his life as a literati-official of the Six Dynasties, rather than a chronology.;Chapter Two examines Bao's rhapsodies and prose. Basically, his fu are short in length and lyrical in nature. His prose works often transcend generic boundaries and become unique forms in themselves. I describe Bao's unique style as "crabbed" because of its intricacy.;Chapter Three discusses Bao's yuefu pieces in detail. His corpus includes pieces modeled on ancient folk songs handed down from the Han, Wei, and Jin dynasties and contemporary popular songs such as Wu Songs and Western Tunes. He was a pioneer in developing the quatrain form that became a dominant style in the Tang.;Chapter Four centers on Bao's landscape poetry. It first explores the definition of this genre and then compares landscape pieces composed by Xie Lingyun, Bao Zhao, and Xie Tiao in terms of their poetic structure, style, aesthetics, and the occasions for which they were composed. This comparison shows that Bao is the transitional figure in the development of this genre. Chapter Five deals with Bao's poems about his private life and personal thoughts.;In conclusion, Bao Zhao is a poet of great versatility who demonstrates his ingenuity and originality within the tradition. |
