Wenyuan Yinghua

Poems and songs are famous types of literature genres in the Tang and Song dynasties. They have different names in Chinese, such as "Fu", "Shi", "Ci", "Yuefu Shi", and "Jue Ju". They are all types of poems, but each represents different poetic composition rules and forms.

Many of the works of the highest regard in Wenyuan Yinghua combine the writer's description of events and the expression of opinions. The writers usually start describing an event or object in the first few lines and carry on to expressing their ideas deriving from the event.

Tang poems are written on papers in this format

The poems in Wenyuan Yinghua come with a lot of quotations. It is a way for writers to show their erudition to audiences, majorly fellow writers with certain cultural attainment. The work they quoted could be Chinese classics dating further back, such as "Zhuang Zi", "Zuo Zhuan", or "Lun Yu". Those examples listed are all classics required for Chinese scholars to memorize for the imperial exam, so the audience would not have problems understanding the quoted reference. In "酬乐天扬州初逢席上见赠," the verse "到乡翻似烂柯人" literally means "as if I'm the man carrying a broken ax after I return home." The quotation "the man carrying a broken ax" comes from a story in "Jing shu" (The history of Jing). The story tells a man who went chopping the woods in the forest, and when he gets back home, he discovers everything has changed. A few years have passed in his few days in the woods. By quoting this, the author Bai Juyi expresses the shocking emotion that everything moved forth while he was away from home.[6]

Some authors use symbolism to present the work in depth. For instance, Du Fu's poem "Li Ren Xin" included a detailed description of the banquet in the palace. Although it seemed to be depicting the scene, Du implies the extravagant lifestyle of nobles is built on the hardship of ordinary people, secretly conveying discontent. Those works have a market among ordinary citizens while spreading unnoticed by authorities.

Symbolism is prevalent in Wenyuan Yinghua's poems. Like many western poets like Shakespeare, Emily Dickinson, and E. E. Cummings, their middle-aged colleagues in China also have keen sights of their surroundings. Poets in Tang and Song left comments on the tenancy of nature, praising the firmness and persistence of bamboos and orchids. They were lit up by the lone plum in the snow and astounded by the pines growing from rocks. They learned from the cruelness and beauty of nature. The authors polish their works, illustrating traits of good virtue vividly with symbolism.

Poems in Wenyuan Yinghua include many analogies and metaphors. Since lyrics come in verses of seven Chinese characters, poets need to express as efficiently as possible in limited space. Metaphors and analogy serve the purpose of saving words of description here since they use the commonly known character of one object to describe another lesser-known thing.[7]

Wenyuan Yinghua included other literary forms such as narrative tales and stories. Some works are articles or even bibliographies by poets describing the achievement in their life.

A type of story worthy of note is "Zhi guai," stories about ghosts and supernatural phenomena. It was popular in Song society, combining myth and legends with writers' creations. The type led to the trend of stories in Song and eventually developed into novels about "Zhi guai" in later dynasties.

The literature forms other than poems in Wenyuan Yinghua are much less famous than poems and little studied.

Throughout the song dynasty, the only way for a citizen to get promoted to become an official was through "imperial examination." The "imperial examination" selects officials mainly through literature skills, which significantly facilitates the prosperity of poems and lyrics in Song. Ideas such as loyalty and virginity are encouraged to be expressed in examination writings.

The examination hall where imperial examinations take place

Wenyuan Yinghua, aiming to collect the best of Song literature, also reflects this function. The best Answers from past exams are included. The question of the exam varies from "Early snow in Spring" to "bamboo in the backyard." A worth-noting fact is that the answer with the highest regard usually eulogizes the emperor. For example, in the "Early snow in Spring" exam poem collected in Wenyuan Yinghua, the author says it's the god that lets snowfall, responding to the goodwill and high moral standard of the emperor.[8]

The imperial examination acts to stabilize both the imperial order and society. The talented are selected and serve in public offices rather than destabilizing the community.

Wenyuan Yinghua contains poems depicting daily events in Song, including trade and commerce activities. Some scenes depict government officials collecting taxes from the poor. The writers wanted to express their pity for the poor and gratitude for their contribution. But sometimes, even sympathy must be expressed in symbolic ways in the literature.

Some poems by Dufu presence in Wenyuan Yinghua have significant social influence

Progress in science can be seen in the writings. Detailed accounts in poems for astronomy, math, architecture, fireworks, and other inventions all show the progress of technology in Song.[9]

Natural disasters at the time are recorded through literature. A flood or drought going on in Hebei might be neglectable for historians, but writers who experienced or witnessed the destruction it brought would record them in their writing. Besides, it might make a difference—famous poets describing the scenes and conditions of citizens could sometimes attract the attention of the imperial court and eventually have the impacted states got official support.

Wars between imperial dynasty and border nations is also a well-implemented subject. While accounts of victories of imperial forces are often seen as another way to praise imperials, authors sometimes secretly expressed their concerns about the huge cost and death behind the victories.