Irreducible to conventional labels usually applied to him, the Tang poet Du Fu (712â770) both defined and was defined by the literary, intellectual, and socio-political cultures of the Song dynasty (960â1279).
Jue Chen not only argues in his work that Du Fu was constructed according to particular literary and intellectual agendas of Song literati but also that conventional labels applied to Du Fu do not accurately represent this construction campaign. He also discusses how Du Fuâs image as the greatest poet sheds unique light on issues that can deepen our understanding of the subtleties in the poetic culture of Song China.
Jue Chen, Ph.D. (2016), Princeton University, is Assistant Professor of Chinese at University of Wisconsin-Milwaukee. He has co-authored a book on Song dynasty Chan poetry and published several articles on medieval Chinese literature.
Contents
Acknowledgments Note to the Reader
Introduction
â1âDu Fuâs Image and Du Fu in Reception History Studies
â2âDu Fu and the Song Literati Culture
â3âOverview of the Book
1 Memory of Du Fu before the Mid-Eleventh Century
â1âThe âLi Duâ Juxtaposition and âLi/Duâ Dichotomy
â2âHard Life
â3âAssociation with Shu
â4âRelationship with Yan Wu
â5âDeath in Water
2 A Collected Poet
â1âWang Zhuâs Edition and the âWu Ruo Editionâ
â2âCollecting Du Fuâs Poems
â3âBiannian and Nianpu
â4âBiannian as Biographical Narrative and Critical Perspective
3 âShishiâ and Reading Du Fu as History
â1âReading Strategies and Authorial Image
â2âReading Shishi: Human Emotions and Realistic Concerns
â3âHow Du Fu Wrote Shishi: Rhetoric and Moralization
â4âMetamorphosis and Negotiation of Shishi
4 Reading Du Fu in the Song Political Culture
â1âThe Basic Tone for Du Fu Criticism: Tradition and Reality
â2âWang Huiâs Reading of Certain Poems by Du Fu
â3ââNever Forgetting the Emperor Even during a Mealâ
â4âReading Du Fu in Political Vicissitudes
â5âMetamorphosis of Du Fuâs Loyalist Image in Southern Song
5 The Poetic Craftsman
â1âWords and Allusions for Expression of Poetic Ideas
â2âRules and Standards
â3âToward a Narrative of Poetic Transition from Tang to Song
Conclusion: Making Chinaâs Greatest Poet
â1âSong Poetsâ Desire for Influence
â2âDu Fu in the Historical Changes in the Song
â3ââChinaâs Greatest Poetâ
Bibliography Index
Scholars of Chinese poetry, Chinese literary history, and reception history in Chinese literature, especially those who focus their research on medieval China.