The Fascination of Ye-Yi in Yuan Sanqu

Abstract

Over nearly a century from the early 20th century to the present, scholars have conducted in-depth explorations of the characteristics of literary forms of Yuan sanqu 散曲, arriving at various summaries such as “secular,” “humorous,” “vivid,” and “tart.” Various summaries indicate that our understanding of the characteristics of Yuan sanqu remains insufficient, necessitating further investigation to arrive at a more comprehensive summary that reflects the fundamental spirit of Yuan sanqu. The more comprehensive summary should be ye-yi 野逸, representing a common living state, psychological state, and cultural spirit among literati in the Yuan Dynasty and is manifested in numerous aspects of Yuan literature and art. Historically, people have often recognized the ye-yi of Yuan literati primarily through Yuan paintings, but ye-yi is expressed even more fully in sanqu. The manifestations of ye-yi in Yuan sanqu are diverse, including “unbridled and reckless spirit,” “unrestrained and ingenious spirit with an unconfined mindset,” “rustic and carefree spirit,” “rural tranquility,” “graceful wildness,” “unconventional thoughts and fantasies,” and “vulgar and lowbrow works.”

Keywords

Yuan sanqu / characteristics of literary forms / ye-yi

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2024 Higher Education Press