The Influence of Local Consciousness on the Exaggeration and Embellishment of Han Epideictic Rhapsodies

Abstract

It is commonly believed that the exaggeration and embellishment in Han epideictic rhapsodies (dafu 大赋) are closely related to the Han literati’s praising the unification and unprecedented strength of the Han court. Recent academic discussions on the relationship between Han epideictic rhapsodies and local gazetteers suggest that the exaggeration and embellishment in Han epideictic rhapsodies are also influenced by factors from local and regional perspectives. This influence is reflected not only in writing techniques and materials but also in the perspectives and positions of expression. The exaggerated and embellished style of Han epideictic rhapsodies is primarily linked to the regional backgrounds of early authors, who hailed from the Six States and often served various feudal lords. It may also have drawn inspiration from the localized, homeland-celebrating tendencies of regional gazetteer writing. The exaggeration and embellishment in Han epideictic rhapsodies simultaneously embody their local characteristics; the combination of these two aspects has a certain impact on the concurrent practices and effects of collecting poetry to understand the customs.

Keywords

Han epideictic rhapsodies / exaggeration and embellishment / locality / local gazetteers

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Higher Education Press