The reception of the Book of Odes in Han dynasty shi and fu poetry = 兩漢文學對《詩經》的傳承與革新 : 以詩、賦為核心

Abstract

The Book of Odes, the first collection of poetry in Chinese, is the pioneer of Chinese literature, which has played a pivotal role in the development of the field. In addition, the emperors of the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-220 A.D.) had a strong emphasis on the study of classics, which further enhanced the importance of the Book of Odes for the official academies.

Reviewing the literary trajectory from the Book of Odes to Han literature, the Book of Odes can be seen to be guiding the Han literature, especially the shi and fu poetry. In addition to the frequent allusions to the Book of Odes, Han literati adopted and intensified the remarkable heritage of the Book of Odes via various means and approaches, inheriting the essence and elegance of the Book of Odes.

Although Han literati highly honored the Book of Odes, they rarely adopted its format, structure, and style directly. This phenomenon can be attributed to several factors: the development and evolution of traditional literature, the constraints from the Confucianism and classics, the differentiation between literature and the concept of scholarship, and the changes in political climate and social environment.

This thesis illustrated the above findings with appropriate examples. Apart from shi and fu poetry, discussion on other literary genres is also included, demonstrating the broader reception of the Book of Odes in Han dynasty.