Allusion as the way to perfection : the poetic theory and practice of Huang Tingjian = 依傍古人, 用典為法 : 黃庭堅詩學理論及其實踐

Abstract

Huang Tingjian (1045–1105), a renowned poet contemporary with Su Shi (1037–1101), continued the poetic tradition from the late Tang and early Northern Song and was consecrated as the “guru” of the Jiangxi Poetry School. The theories suggested by Huang, namely “all words (in Du Fu’s poems and Han Yu’s prose) are traceable”, “converting iron into gold”, “changing the bone” and “seizing the embryo,” are all related to his core poetic concept that the creation of poems should focus on the use of “sources” (the use of pre-existing text). Though many studies have been done on Huang’s literary theories and poetry, the principle underlying the theories as well as their correlation with Huang’s poetry and the historical context have not been sufficiently examined.

In this thesis, the author will argue that the above theories are all related to the concept that views allusion as an essential method of poetry writing, a vital literary technique and the way to perfection (matching the ancient writers). Moreover, the thesis will demonstrate how the concepts and theories were formed in the context in both the development of literature and vast change in material culture, mainly the boom in the circulation of publications, which was closely related to the reading custom in Northern Song and the horizon of expectations of contemporary readers and critics. The thesis will also illustrate by close reading how Huang put his theories into practice and the aesthetic value of Huang’s theories and work. In conclusion, the emergence, triumph and notoriety of Huang’s poetic theories and work should be understood in the light of the responses of poets and critics to their predecessors.