For Ease，For Faith, and For Inheritance:The Lyricism of Ouyang Xiu’s Postfaces of Jigu Lu
Date Issued
2016
Date
2016
Author(s)
ZHUANG, QINGJIA
Abstract
The thesis studies on Ouyang Xiu’s歐陽修 Postfaces of Jigu Lu集古錄跋尾. During the latter half of his life, Ouyang Xiu writes more than four hundred pieces of postfaces跋尾 to his Jigu Lu集古錄，a fabulous collection of ancient bronze and stone inscriptions. His writing conveys the appreciation of calligraphy, the interest in history, and the understanding of literature. He reads inscriptions during his spare time as a hobby. He satisfies himself by writing. As a collection of Guwen古文, the Postfaces of Jigu Lu is firstly written for ease自適. Inscriptions help to reveal the past as a kind of historical material. Seeing the rise and fall of the dynasties when reading history, Ouyang Xiu gains a deep understanding of Dao道. He cultivates himself by learning from history. Like the predecessors, a sense of responsibility for the society rises. Believing in Confucianism, he makes great efforts to preserve and promote the values of Ren仁，Yi義，Li禮，Yue樂. He practices Dao to approach his political ideal. He believes writing help people remember and understand the past, and Dao can be better conveyed and spread by brilliant writing. The Postfaces of Jigu Lu is written for faith載道 and finally proves his success in writing Guwen. In his works, Ouyang Xiu is sentimental about time, showing his affection for life. No man is an island, entire of itself; every man is a piece of the continent, a part of the main. The author in ancient times is rather a statesman than simply a writer or a scholar. He is a Shi士who cares much about the main. In the writing, Ouyang Xiu thinks about the destiny of himself and of the main. What he experiences in life, what he sees and learns from history are passed down. He unveils the limitation of an individual and the significance of inheritance. The Postfaces of Jigu Lu is written for inheritance indeed. It shows how Ouyang Xiu faces the life, how he finally grows into a paradigm of Shi by cultivating himself. And that’s where the Lyricism抒情 comes from.
Subjects
For Ease
For Faith
For Inheritance
Individual
Part of the Main
Life
Lyricism
SDGs
Type
thesis
File(s)![Thumbnail Image]()
Loading...
Name
ntu-105-R01121018-1.pdf
Size
23.54 KB
Format
Adobe PDF
Checksum
(MD5):8965e3a9ed2f344c1e81469fffe61476