The Modernizing Process of Theoretical Studies in Traditional Chinese Literary Forms

Abstract

The study of Chinese literary form, with a long and profound history, has long been at the center of literary scholarship in China. However, under the impact of Western learning during the late Qing and early Republican periods, the tradition of Chinese literary form studies was gradually overshadowed and marginalized. It was not until the 1980s that this tradition began to revive, rapidly developing into the most vibrant frontier of academic growth and becoming a focal point of scholarly attention. In terms of the overall research landscape, there is significant emphasis on the study of the literary form and history of literary forms, yielding a wealth of related achievements. In contrast, discussions surrounding literary form concepts and theoretical exploration remain relatively weak. It is crucial to summarize and reflect on the modern theoretical studies in literary forms over the 20th century, as this will promote the further development of traditional literary form studies and contribute to constructing a literary theoretical discourse system with Chinese characteristics for a new era.

Keywords

tradition of literary form studies / theoretical studies / modern scholarship

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2024 Higher Education Press