1、1Bards of the TangFor much of the Tang Dynasty the nation enjoyed lasting peace and prosperity, which set the stage for a cultural boom. Founded by Li Yuan in 618, it endured for 289 years. This period is remembered as a golden era in Chinese history in general: China grew into the biggest power in
2、the world, Tang territory reached 12.51 million square kilometers, and the population exceeded 52.88 million, providing just the sort of conditions needed for art and literature to flourish. Poetry was the most popular form of literature in this golden era. The Complete Collection of Tang Poems, com
3、piled during the Qing Dynasty 1,000 years later, encompasses approximately 50,000 works by more than 2,200 poets, a collection unmatched by any other period in Chinese history. In terms of format, Tang poems fall into three categories: guti (classical), gel (with rigidly defined tonal pattern and rh
4、yme scheme) and yuefu (originally for singing). Each line consists of either five or seven Chinese characters, and a piece ranges from four to a dozen verses. The longest ?C Story of a Mrs. Qin by Wei Zhuang (836-910) ?C has 238 sentences, totaling 1,666 characters. 2Tang poems touched on an unprece
5、dented scope of themes, which wereas trifling as incidents in daily life or as solemn as major state affairs. Gauged by content, Tang poems are divided into four genres: pastoral, frontier, romantic and realistic. The pastoral group is mostly about natural scenes and the hermits life long admired an
6、d advocated by genteel Chinese. The frontier works explore all facets of war: the patriotism it provokes, the loss of life and property it causes, loneliness and homesickness during long expeditions, and the mingling of different cultures and races it inadvertently induces. The romantic niche focuse
7、d on the search for personal values and the meaning of life, and is defined by its free, spontaneous and imaginative verse. A leading figure in this field is Li Bai (701-762), called the God of Poetry by following generations. He lived through the height of the Tang Empire, and spent most of his lif
8、e roaming around the nation, embracing the wonder of nature and calling on cultural dignitaries. Many of his works are the marveling of a free soul at the majesty of the universe. All the birds have flown up and gone; 3A lonely cloud floats leisurely by. We never tire of looking at each other - Only
9、 the mountain and I. The footloose, unruly genius disdained the prospect of serving at the imperial court, which was the ultimate goal of scholarly endeavors in ancient times, and took pride in his perennial semi-loopy, semi-loony state. Alcohol is widely believed to be Li Bais wellspring of inspira
10、tion. It lifted him to the zenith of Chinese poetry, and also dragged him into its depths: when trying to scoop up the moons reflection in the river after anight of heavy drinking, the poet whod sunk too far into his cups slipped into the water and was drowned (although some insist he died of illnes
11、s). Realism gained momentum beyond the mid Tang, when the regime began to devolve thanks to intensified political jostling and social unrest. The most prominent poet of this period was Du Fu, whose works are bitter and woeful, soaked with resentment toward social evils and sympathy for the suffering
12、 of his people. For instance, he wrote three pieces under the title Bidding Farewell, berating authorities for tearing apart numerous families and ruining agricultural 4production by waging their unjustified wars. There were many factors that refined Chinese poetry to benchmark status during the Tan
13、g Dynasty. National unification ensured social stability; economic growth made it possible for some people in the population to live from literature and art. Skill at writing poetry even became a standard on the imperial examination that selected candidates for official posts. Whats more, developed
14、land and sea transport expedited exchanges with foreign countries, exposing the Chinese to different cultures, faiths and ideas. The rulers, riding confidently on their unrivalled military and economic prowess worldwide, were largely tolerant to the voices of the people. Under such circumstances, creativity and self-awareness germinated and blossomed, and found ready expression in verse.
