Critical Reading of Chinese Literature and Its Traditions

In this critical review, I choose two readings. The first one is An Annotated Translation of Yan Yu’s. And the second one is Chinese Aesthetics: The Ordering of Literature, the Arts and the Universe in the Six Dynasties. For the first article, An Annotated Translation of Yan Yu’s “Canglang Shihua.” Pp. 8-20. It is an analysis of the Chinese poetry manual of the early thirteen century and is titled, “An Annotated Transition of Yan Yu’s Canglang Shihua.” The dissertation, written by Ruey-Shan Sandy Chen in 1996, highlights Yan Yu’s early Chinese poetry. The dissertation offers a translation of the poetry works of Yan Yu while at the same time criticizes the Chinese literary tradition. The article begins by providing a detailed annotation of the classical words used in the Chinese literary tradition as well as the figures, textual allusions, the philosophies, the cultural concepts, religious beliefs, the political and social conditions and the legends of the Chinese literature. The translation and explanation of these concepts make it easier for the modern reader to access and understand the early works of Chinese literary writers. In the introduction, the author explores various perspectives of Yan Yu and later critics of the early Chinese literature.

As a poet and literary theorist, it turns out that Yan Yu was an archaist who advocated for a return to High-Tang poetry due to its possession of magnificent imagery and atmosphere. Similarly, according to the author, Yan Yu had an insightful analogy illustrated by his great poetry skills as well as attainment of enlightenment in Zen Buddhism (Chen 1997). The great influence of Yan Yu’s perspectives on the early Chinese literary tradition to the readers and critics of Chinese literature in and beyond China makes it necessary to explore his literature. The author analyzes the five sections contained in the Canglang shihua including the poetry argument which constitutes the main thesis on Yan Yu’s perspectives and views of poetry.

Similarly, the author examines the various forms of poetry in terms of the poetic styles and genres used by different persons and at different times in the Chinese literary tradition as well as the methods of poetry used. Under the methods of the poetry section, the author suggests various ways of writing excellent poetry. Moreover, the Canglang shihua provides various commentaries on poetry by evaluating several traditional Chinese poets as well as traditional Chinese poems followed by a section that offers various proofs of poetry. This section provides a collation of textual discrepancies in traditional Chinese poetry while at the same time discusses the dates and authorship of the various Chinese poems. According to Yan Yu, poetry creates a sense of direction and offers the truth to all members of the society regardless of their religious and philosophical beliefs. It offers a meeting point for the Confucianists who believe in the concern for humanity, the Daoists who are guided by the law of the universe and the Buddhists who believe in the emptiness and impermanence of nature.

For the second reading, Chinese Aesthetics: The Ordering of Literature, the Arts and the Universe in the Six Dynasties (Cai Zongqi) pp. 123-140. This article illustrates the history and development of the Chinese literary tradition is entitled “The Ordering of Literature, the Arts, and the Universe in the Six Dynasties,” by Shuen-fu Lin. The article is a detailed prologue of the historical context of Chinese literary developments during the era of the six dynasties. The author presents a comprehensive and nuanced analysis of Chinese aesthetic practice and thought in the era of the six ancient Chinese dynasties. According to the author, despite various social and dynamic upheavals experienced during the era of the six dynasties, several artists remained focused on developing various literary areas such as poetry, drama, fiction, song, prose, lyrics and parallel prose. The author presents a chronological growth of the Chinese literature throughout the six dynasties detailing the milestones achieved in each of the dynasties.

Significant developments were realized in the Chinese garden throughout the six dynasties. At first, the six dynasties saw people move from the art of building gardens and parks for utilitarian purposes such as production of goods, hunting and gathering and rearing of cattle and horses to the culture of creating gardens and parks for recreation, rest and enjoyment purposes as well as for pursuing other aesthetic interests (Cai 2004). The second phase was characterized by a reduction in the size of the emperor’s parks in Qin and Han. In an attempt to compensate for the reduction in the size of the parks, the people of China embraced the art of garden building which resulted in the construction of artificial features such as hills and various water bodies as well as the careful selection of animals, birds, plants, and rocks.

Similarly, the period was characterized by a replacement of the culture of the construction of imperial parks with the skillful management of pavilions, water, hills, woods and halls. Furthermore, this period was characterized by the use of various techniques of appreciating scenes from nature outside the garden in extending the ideal space beyond the walls. For instance, developments in Chinese aesthetics such as calligraphy, poetry, as well as the painting of the literati were infused in the art of garden development. Hence, Chinese aesthetics was used in making the garden a beautiful and magnificent place with beautiful colors, sounds, and sights throughout the entire course of the Six Dynasties.

In the third phase, artists of the Six Dynasties used a realistic and suggestive approach in improving the appearance of the garden. The beauty of the garden was improved using artificial lakes, hills, stalagmites as well as ponds while at the same time, the inner section of the gardens were painted using the ‘xieyi’ painting technique. Therefore, according to the author, the period of the Six Dynasties saw advancements in Chinese art and literature. The period saw a shift from the culture of building parks and gardens to the culture of infusing other artistic styles such as painting to improve the beauty of the various sceneries.

Similarly, in an attempt to entertain the souls residing in the gardens, various forms of literature were used, ranging from music, poetry, drama, and calligraphy. Therefore, the article exposes the dynamic and complex interchange between art and life and the artistic, metaphysical coupled with sensuous developments lying at the center stage of the Chinese aesthetic throughout the Six Dynasties (Chen 1997). The text presents an essential discussion on various areas such as the Chinese artistic judgment, the mediation of the mental image between the sensible and supersensible, the disinterestedness in the art as well as the sequential developments in the Chinese literary tradition in a manner that provides food for thought in broader areas of comparative aesthetics and literature.

I find the literary works of Yan Yu to be effective in shaping the early way of life in China. In his work, Yan Yu played a vital role in shaping the principles of the archaist movement which was dominant in the world of letters in China. Likewise, the preface of Yan Yu echoes some of the essential principles and guidelines that are present in prefatory materials heading the modern Chinese literary world. Today, China is one of the nations of the world with great art and literature. Chinese myths, poetry, songs, drama, calligraphy, and prose play a significant role in shaping the global literary space. The article documents the development of classical Chinese literature such as poetry, song, drama, prose, and calligraphy. For instance, from the two books, it emerges that China has a rich tradition of poetry which began approximately in the 10th century. In an attempt to promote its rich culture of poetry and song, early regimes supported poetry composition.

Yan Yu put great emphasis on formalism as well as the emulation of a canonical master including the High Tang poets. The move resulted in the conversion of his literature to the High Tang literary style which was more descriptive, ideal and classical. Although such prescriptive styles were highly criticized by poets such as Qian, they ended up becoming the cornerstones of the orthodoxy literary works of Ming-Qing. Such vestiges have continued to shape the modern world view of traditional Chinese poetry.

Similarly, modern Chinese literature is highly influenced by Yan Yu’s literary works. Many poets ranging from Hanlin Academy preceptors to poetry teachers in the village schools have all been influenced by Yan Yu’s poetic method. It emerges from the article that early Chinese literature and art were influenced by the philosophical writings of the Hundred Schools of Thought of the 7th century. Despite having borrowed heavily from Yan Yu, modern Chinese literature has undergone several changes including translations. Similarly, various factors such as technological advancements and cross-cultural interactions in the wake of globalization have led to the changes in modern Chinese literature. Hence, modern Chinese literature and art is a product of significant developments in the literary world over time. Unlike the traditional literature and art which were purely Chinese, modern Chinese literature is a mix of works of literature from other parts of the world. Ideally, globalization has intensified the rate of cultural interaction which has impacted both negatively as well as positively on the global literary tradition (Hung 1999). Although it has resulted in the development of some of the finest pieces of art and literature as a result of knowledge exchange among people from different cultures, it has also interfered with the production of culture-specific literature.

Cai’s literary works draw considerable parallelism to that Confucius and Buddhist philosophy. In his words, the composition of the works of Cai’s literature requires one to have a sense of stillness and emptiness for the creation of well-defining literature. To clearly understand the Confucian concept of self, it is imperative to drop all Western ideas of the world. Cai’s view of the world is heavily influenced by the Chinese literary tradition of the Six Dynasties. Chinese traditional literature was affected by way of life of the Chinese people. For instance, Buddhism and Confucianism had a significant influence on literary developments. Just like traditional literature, modern Chinese literature is affected by way of life. For instance, globalization and technological advancements have influenced modern Chinese literature.

Technological advancements that have come with globalization have affected the traditional Chinese literature significantly. Traditionally, Chinese literature such as poetry and song was documented in writing. However, this has completely changed in the era of technology. Today, the emergence of the internet has resulted in most of the Chinese literature being documented in soft copies. Poetry and songs are composed, stored and presented using online and electronic sources. The use of the internet in the recording, storage, and distribution of literature has increased access to Chinese literature in other parts of the world. Today, it is easier for an individual in any part of the world to access Chinese poetry and song by just logging onto the internet. Similarly, through online platforms, people can read the literature online, make purchases of online books, as well as get translated versions of the Chinese literature in an international language.

Additionally, the use of the internet has made it possible for readers to contribute to Chinese literature by commenting or criticizing the literary sources in the comments section on the online platforms. As a result, the internet has not only increased accessibility to Chinese literature, but also improved its scope and quality. Nevertheless, despite the massive benefits of the use of the internet in enhancing Chinese literature, it has some negative consequences. For instance, overreliance on the internet has negatively affected the reading culture. Also, the internet has made life easier as people can listen to literature such as poetry. This has created a languid generation with a poor reading culture. As a result, the book industry has been affected since most people do not see the need to buy books when they can get the same message by listening to the recorded sources. Although, through listening one can get the message of the literature, nothing is worthy of replacing the role of written literature.

In overall, China has one of the best literary traditions in the world. Its literature stretches back over 3000 years and has developed over time. Significant literary developments were realized during the era of the Six Dynasties which saw growth from the mere development of parks and gardens to the use of painting, calligraphy, song, and poetry to appease the human soul. The leadership of China encouraged the development of literature by promoting and supporting competition among members of society. However, globalization had significant effects on traditional Chinese literature. Cultural interactions led to the adoption of a new literature which is a mix of Chinese literature with pieces of literature from other parts of the world; hence it is difficult for one to classify the modern Chinese literature as being purely Chinese. Similarly, the translation of the Chinese literature into other international languages has resulted in a loss of the original taste and meaning. Likewise, technological advancements witnessed in recent decades have significantly changed the scope of Chinese literature. Today, most of the pieces of literature are recorded, documented and distributed using online platforms. Although this has increased access to Chinese literature across the world, it has also interfered with the reading culture.