Poetry-Prose Relation and Lyricism in Short and Medium-Length Chinese Classical Novels — A Discussion of Love
Date Issued
2009
Date
2009
Author(s)
Chen, Yu-ping
Abstract
This thesis is a discussion of "poetic writing" in Chinese classical novels. However, its focus lies not on the poetic form itself, but the poetry-prose relation in classical novels and the presentation of lyricism. This is accomplished through the examination of classical novels in their various stages of development. In view of the vast volume of works written throughout the long history of classical novels, this thesis selects only those that relate closest to "poetic writing" i.e. those with a love motif, before proceeding to make rhetoric comparisons among representative texts from the following: 1) works from Han to the Six Dynasties — the budding point of "poetic writing" in narratives; 2) Tang romance fictions, in which "poetic writing" became a characteristic style; and 3) Literary Chinese and Vernacular Chinese novels.here are 6 chapters in total. The first introduces motives, raises questions, explains text selections and illustrates research outlines. The second chapter deals with basic concepts, such as reconsidering the Tang definition of "poetic writing" and reevaluating its values to determine the contemporary significance of "poetic writing". By analyzing and comparing different aspects of novel and poetry, and listing the characteristics of lyric poem, researchers are able to shift their focus from the study of "poetic writing" itself to one of poetry-prose relation in novels, which in turn can help in the understanding of writing strategies employed by authors and the rhetoric relations of poetry-prose and lyric-narrative in classical novels.he important traits of "poetic writing" exhibited at various stages of novel development are discussed in chapters 3 to 5, with the third chapter tracing the usage of poetry back to historical writings and narratives from Han to Six Dynasties. Though most poems written during this period were for the purpose of documentation, authors nonetheless tried to achieve the kind of lyrical effects found in prose writing. This can be seen as the start of what influenced subsequent novel authors to also conceive and apply the style of "poetic writing" into their works. During this particular era, the display of intense emotions in odes to personages was a common technique used to express lyricism. What not so common then was a rhetorically deliberated and elaborated poetry style where personal sentiments were expressed in an inward and subtle manner. However, this style gradually gained momentum and led the art of "poetic writing" onto the path of delicateness and subtlety. It eventually became the mainstream in Chinese lyric poem. y looking at Tang romance fictions in chapter 4, this thesis sets out to comb through the correlation and interaction between two literary forms: novel and poetry. Due to their differences in language and aesthetic qualities, when poetry was incorporated into novel and became an integral part of it, the dialogue between "poetry" and "prose", by means of Bakhtin''s dialogism, offered a new range of possibilities and potentials when it comes to interpreting classical novels. The lingering lyrical mood in Tang romance fictions so often lauded by posterity was in fact the result of authors highlighting the lyricism of "poetic writing" during novel narration. This is also the main reason why Tang romance fictions have been held in great esteem.hapter 5 compares rhetorical differences of "poetic writing" between the Literary Chinese and Vernacular Chinese language. It accomplishes this goal by looking at the two genres that both had Scholar and Beauty as the protagonists — medium-length romance novels from Yuan / Ming era, and Scholar-Beauty novels from early Qing. Using three archetypal works from each genre, this chapter 1) illustrates how the distinct value consciousness and aesthetic preferences that novel authors in different eras held for the poetic form were reflected in the actual practices of novel creation; 2) analyzes how two different kinds of lyricism were presented by authors of each genre through the selection of imageries and use of symbols, the manipulation of subtle and metaphorical language, and the construction of lyric scenes.he sixth chapter concludes this research. It recapitulates the whole discussion with the hope of continuing this study of "poetic writing" and further extending the discussion to classical romance novels not covered by this thesis, including the complex facets of The Dream of the Red Mansion.
Subjects
poetic writing
poetry-prose relation
lyricism
classical novel
love motif
imagery
lyric scene
Type
thesis
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