The Rediscovery of “Evocation” (Xing) and the Rise of “Poems Based on Evocation with Miscellaneous Themes” (Za-Xing) in the Resurgence Era of Southern Song Dynasty

Abstract

The composition of group poems based on evocation with miscellaneous themes (za-xing) first emerged in the Tang Dynasty, pioneered by Du Fu and Chu Guangxi, but an extraordinary outburst of group poems based on evocation with miscellaneous themes emerged in the the resurgence era of Southern Song Dynasty. This phenomenon was not only influenced by new ideas in poetics and the studies of Confucian classics in the Southern Song Dynasty but also directly stemmed from the resistance against the poetic system represented by the Jiangxi poetry school. The group poems based on evocation with miscellaneous themes of poets such as Lu You, Yang Wanli, and Fan Chengda exhibit a tendency opposite to the Jiangxi poetic style in terms of their overall characteristics. The rise of evocation with miscellaneous themes poems in the poetic circle of the the resurgence era of Southern Song Dynasty holds significant importance in the history of Song poetry. It represents a rebellious and rule-breaking force that fundamentally protests against the various rules and boundaries established by Song poetics, marking a revolution in the norms of Song poetry.

Keywords

the resurgence era of Southern Song Dynasty / poems based on evocation with miscellaneous themes / origin / meaning

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