Literary Criticism · LT801

Literary Theory

Comprehensive theoretical treatises systematically analyzing literary creation.

10works

5dynasties

6authors

Three Kingdoms

220–2801 works
  1. Authoritative Discourses: On LiteratureCao PiLiterature is the grand enterprise of statecraft and an immortal monument. Mortal years have their appointed end, worldly joys perish with the physical self—both are inevitable limits, whereas literature endures infinite and eternal.

Jin

265–4201 works
  1. Rhapsody on Literature · ExcerptLu JiSurveying ancient and modern eras in a fleeting moment, caressing the four seas in an instant. Encapsulating Heaven and Earth within artistic form, commanding all creations beneath the brush tip. How delightful is this craft of writing, revered by sages and worthies through the ages!

Northern and Southern

420–5895 works
  1. The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons · Tracing the DaoLiu XieGreat indeed is the power of Wen (Pattern/Literature), born coeval with Heaven and Earth! Dark and yellow colors intermingle, square and round forms take shape. Sun and moon like stacked jade disks hang down splendid celestial patterns; mountains and rivers like lustrous brocades spread out patterned terrestrial forms. This is truly the Wen of the Dao.
  2. The Literary Mind · Spiritual Thought & Creative ImaginationLiu XieThe thought in literary creation—how far-reaching is its spirit! In tranquil meditation, thought connects across a thousand years; quietly stirred, vision spans ten thousand li. In chanting and recitation, pearls and jade ring in the voice; before the eyebrows, winds and clouds unfurl their colors.
  3. The Literary Mind · Wind and Bone / Vital Spirit & StructureLiu XiePoetry encompasses six principles, with Feng (Wind/Emotion) at their head, the source of moral transformation and the seal of lofty aspiration. When language is upright and clear, the bone of text is formed; when spirit is swift and vigorous, the wind of text is born.
  4. The Literary Mind · Emotion and Literary OrnamentLiu XieIn ancient times poets composed stanzas where writing was created for genuine emotion; later rhapsodists fabricated artificial emotion for the sake of writing. Water by nature is fluid so ripples form; trees by nature are solid so blossoms open—literary form depends upon genuine substance. Profuse embellishment devoid of true feeling will inevitably repel upon tasting.
  5. The Literary Mind · The Understanding Critic / Appreciative ReaderLiu XieHow difficult it is to find an understanding critic (Zhiyin)! The inner melody is hard to discern, the true listener hard to encounter; to meet a true soulmate of art happens perhaps once in a thousand years! Only after playing a thousand melodies does one understand tone; only after inspecting a thousand swords does one recognize fine steel. Therefore, comprehensive discernment demands broad observation.

Ming

1368–16441 works
  1. On Reading the Fifth Book of Genius · Water Margin PrefaceJin ShengtanWater Margin portrays the characters of one hundred and eight heroes, truly creating one hundred and eight distinct personalities. Other novels describe a thousand people yet they are all the same; Water Margin depicts temperaments and appearances with zero repetition—truly a divine brush of celestial creation.

Qing

1636–19122 works
  1. Origin of Poetry · Inner Chapters · ExcerptYe XieThe foundation of poetry is the breadth of the poet's mind; the method of poetry is the elevation of the poet's style. Four essentials of poetic creation: Talent, Courage, Discernment, and Power. The four nourish one another, with Discernment (Shi) as primary—possessing discernment one perceives ultimate truth.
  2. Treatise on Painting · Chapter on the Single BrushstrokeShi Tao (Zhu Ruoji)In primeval antiquity there were no rigid rules; the primordial simplicity was undivided. The Single Brushstroke is the root of all existence, the source of all phenomena. When the Single Brushstroke is clear, the cosmic principles of all things reside within the heart. How is law established? It is founded on the Single Brushstroke—the primordial wellspring of all writing and painting.