The Origin of Tang Poetry.
Chinese prides themselves as the hub of poetry. The country proclaims that her literary scene is awash with all forms of poems. The residents incorporate poetry in fiction, drama and prose. The infusion of poetry into these forms of art traces its root from the introduction of Tang poetry during the Tang period (618 – 907) (Wang). This period was the onset of poetry integration in the lives of Chinese as some form of poems got to the pinnacle of development. Besides, Tang poetry has different classifications in the verification of its impact. Concerning quality, Tang poetry has a great impact since it lays a framework to master the process of teaching poetry. Concerning magnitude, Tang poetry saw the contribution of approximately 2,200 poets that comes from different walks of life. Hence, the Tang period saw the emergence of some of the greatest poets in literary history (Wang). Lastly, concerning circulation, many people did appreciate poetry during the Tang period. Immediately after the composition of a poem, most people would produce copies and take to reading the pieces.
Further, the Chinese authorities took poetry in the court systems. The inclusion of poetry in the system ensured that the government hired officials that appreciate and understands poetry. This growth of Tang poetry found its framework in the existing literary works that had elements of poetry. Therefore, a blend of these factors contributed to the success and relevance of Tang poetry.
Development.
The growth of Tang poetry transitioned through four phases of development. They include Early Tang (618 – 712), High Tang (713 – 765), Middle Tang (766 – 835), and Late Tang (836 – 907) (Wang).
The early Tang period saw the composition of poems that captures the political issues and vast topics on social matters. Consequently, the conventional form of writing poetry, “court-style” was abolished to pave way for an encompassing form of writing. The leading poets of this phase introduced the “regulated verse” (Goldblatt & Li). The regulated verse ensured that there was a consistency in the syllables and lines of a poem. For instance, “Chunjiang hua yue ye” (Moonlight over spring river), which contains seven syllables, is among the pieces that conformed to regulated verse’s requirements.
The pinnacle of Tang and Chinese poetry is the High Tang. The concerted efforts of the paragons of Tang poetry made this phase a success. Hence, the writing styles that came up in high Tang explored nature, emotions, frontier poetry, and got entry into the intricate details of politics. This kind of writing offered relief and comfort to the audience since it related to their feelings. Also, the creative writers started to exercise their composing abilities as they infused elements of nature to bring to life emotions and feelings within a poem.
The next phase was the middle Tang. This period sustained the composition of several pieces and the introduction of several lyrics. The progress took place amidst the hardships that were present in society. Thus, most of the poetry written at this time was a protestation to social injustices and the harsh realities the poets were experiencing. For instance, there is a group of poets who came together and composed pieces that were pushing for reforms. They include Li Yuxi (772 – 842) and Liu Zongyuan, he wrote infuriating works that are distinct in the styles that came up in middle Tang (Wang).
Moreover, late Tang times was the last period of this development. This phase identifies with two forms of development. The first change was the commitment of poets to experience beauty in poetry and enjoy the process. Secondly, they looked for poetic relevance in everyday life. Therefore, the poets started appreciating themselves and the things surrounding their writing. Therefore, they let their environment inspire their creativity.
Literary Values of Tang Poetry
The contemporary literary enthusiasts revel in a form of literature that has its origin in the Tang dynasty. Even though literature conforms to the needs and the transformations in a society, the current literary scene still holds some of the elements of Tang poetry (Owen 295). Therefore, the ancient form of literature found its way into modern art from its aspect of dissociation and integration. Some of the writers who came up after the period omitted most aspects of Tang dynasty. However, other writers took to digging the existing literature relating to Tang dynasty to build their craft. Their acts infuse the old form of writing thus, Tang poetry comes as the framework of the modern literary works. For instance, some poets took to crafting their pieces as they consider the 5 to 7 syllable regulated verse that was introduced during the early Tang period.
Moreover, the Tang dynasty forms the basis of appreciating nature through literary work. This idea developed during the high Tang and the late Tang periods. Most of the poets of these times took to nature and had a lot of experience in relating the elements of the environment to their feelings. For instance, poetry tourism is among the activities that enabled poets to connect with nature and infuse it into their feelings (Zhao 166). The activity came about with artistic innovation in the literary scene. The poets were able to widen their imaginative abilities and the scope of their creativity. The unique nature of tourism grants the poet with satisfaction and the demands of creativity. Thus, the poets were able to convey feelings and create the moods they needed in their poems from the choice of words that the experience inspired.
Representative Works and Authors.
A detailed examination of the collection of works written during the Tang dynasty reveals that most of the poems are works of men. The tang women account for a smaller percentage of literary writers. According to Ford, there are slightly over 600 poems that are attributed to women from the approximated 48, 900 pieces of creative writing (2). The rest of that work is linked to the male poets who exercised vigorous crafting of Tang poetry. Some of the creative pieces in this period include Li Bai’s couplet; “Behind redden doors stink wine and meat / But upon the road die frozen me.”
Besides, the establishment of Tang poetry is considered the sources of the greatest Chinese poets. Currently, most of their works are celebrated as the growing poets harvest from their experiences and infuse the skills into modern creativity. The most celebrated poet in the Chinese literary arts is Li Bai (701 – 762) (Liscomb 354). The poet receives an all-round description from the scholars that proceeded him. The other appreciated poet is Du Fu. The compositions of Du Fu’s creative pieces are awash with the traditional literature until his hay days (Williams 201). His language was rich in originality and the stories covered experiences from all walks of life. These two poets defined poetry writing during the growth of Tang poetry.
Works Cited
Ford, Carolyn. The textual transmission of poems attributed to Tang women. Diss. University of Oxford, 2005, pp. 1-28. https://ora.ox.ac.uk/objects/uuid:bf97cf24-bc33-4222-b187-97e3753342fd/download_file?safe_filename=602323004.pdf&file_format=application%2Fpdf&type_of_work=Thesis
Goldblatt, Howard and Li, Tien-yi. “Chinese Literature.” Encyclopedia Britannica, Inc. 2019. https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-literature
Liscomb, Kathlyn Maurean. “Li Bai, a hero among poets, in the visual, dramatic, and literary arts of China.” The Art Bulletin Vol. 81, no. 3. 1999, pp. 354-389. https://www.jstor.org/stable/3051348?seq=1
Owen, Stephen. “The manuscript legacy of the Tang: the case of literature.” Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies, Vol. 67, No. 2, 2007, pp. 295 – 326. https://www.jstor.org/stable/25066856?seq=1
Wang, Wandi. “Tang Poetry.” The Splendid Chinese Culture. 2020. https://en.chiculture.net/?file=topic_details&old_id=0407
Williams, Nicholas Morrow. “Sashimi and History: On a New Translation of Du Fu. The Poetry of Du Fu.” China Review International. University of Hawai’i Press Vol. 21, no. ¾, 2014, pp. 201-244. https://www.jstor.org/stable/44136639?seq=1
Zhao, Li-Xia. “On the Modern Value of Tourism Poetry in Tang Dynasty from the Perspective of Tourism Science.” 3rd Annual International Conference on Social Science and Contemporary Humanity Development (SSCHD 2017). Atlantis Press, 2017, pp. 164 – 168. https://download.atlantis-press.com/article/25884666.pdf