The aesthetics of parallelism in Chinese poetry : the case of Xie Lingyun
Document Type
Book chapter
Source Publication
The Yields of Transition: Literature, Art & Philosophy in Early Medieval China
Publication Date
1-1-2011
First Page
203
Last Page
224
Publisher
Cambridge Scholars Publishing
Abstract
Natural grace and exquisite craftsmanship stand as polarities in the aesthetics of classical Chinese poetry. As early as the Chu ci, a style of ornate embellishment can be distinctly seen. This reached inundating proportions in the Han (206 B.C.-220A.D.) epideictic fu, and remained visible in shi poetry in a line of poets from Cao Zhi (192-232) through the Southern – Northern Dynasties (420-589), who display a penchant for flowery adornment that underpinned Chinese aesthetics until the early years of the Tang (618-907). The eager forging of parallelism in poetry represents one feature of this aesthetic of elaborate refinement; as Liu Xie (c.465-C.532) observes, poetry from Liu- Song (420-479) times up to his age has “adopted parallel couplets that extend to a hundred words” (Wenxin diaolong 6, Ming shi, Liu 1960, 67).
Additional Information
ISBN of the source publication: 9781443827140
Language
English
Recommended Citation
Kwong, Y. T. (2011). The aesthetics of parallelism in Chinese poetry: The case of Xie Lingyun. In J. S. Rošker & N. V. Suhadolnik(Eds.), The yields of transition: Literature, art & philosophy in early Medieval China (pp. 203-224). Newcastle: Cambridge Scholars Publishing.