The Force of World Changing:New Orientations of Historical Writings in Ci-poetry in the Period of the Opium Wars
The"Cishi"writings(historical creations in Ci-poetry)that employ the form of Ci-poetry to document contemporary events and confront reality directly appear in the chaotic time caused by the war that resulted from the Qing Dynasty replacing the Ming Dynasty.They flourish in the late Qing Dynasty in all respects.The grand progress all connects closely with the war's stimulation.The Opium War marks the prelude to the drastic changes of the late period.Due to the unique nature of the war and the concurrent profound transformation of the Qing Dynasty's Ci-poetry,the"Cishi"writings before and after the Opium War are considerable in quantity and rich in meaning,yet they have not received the corresponding attention.Compared with the studies related to the transition from the Ming Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty,the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom,and the Boxer Rebellion at the end of the Qing Dynasty,academia's discussion on the"Cishi"of the Opium War is the most deficient,with many issues still awaiting detailed investigation.This paper extensively collects works of the"Cishi"genre from the Opium War period,and on the basis of a comprehensive review of relative literature,elucidates the characteristics of the"Cishi"of the Opium War through reading of the texts,and places it within the macro context of the evolution of Ci-poetry in the Qing Dynasty for observation,hoping to accurately grasp its value and re-evaluate its academic significance.The innovative essence of"Cishi"writing during the Opium War period needs a representational framework that encompasses both diachronic and synchronic dimensions.In terms of creative themes,the proliferation of opium in the late Qing Dynasty spurs a surge of opium-themed lyrical compositions,where the imagery inherently carries specific"Cishi"connotations,eliminating the need for external metaphorical attributions.This natural intercommunication between the genre of"Yongwu"(object-eulogy)and"Cishi"constitutes a new phenomenon in the history of"Yongwu Ci"(object-eulogy Ci).Similar literary techniques often contain a variety of spiritual attitudes,and it is the combination of these that determines the success of a work,which is the intrinsic regulatory nature of opium-themed Yongwu Ci.Observing from the perspective of historical representation,we can find that the Ci poets,in the face of societal upheaval,record both the social facts and images with their pen.The former continues the tradition of"Shishi"(historical recordings in poems)in Chinese literature,elevating the spirit of factual recording to an unprecedented level,such as the depiction of the hardships of the people and the use of linked-chapter forms,which were inherited and further developed during the Taiping Heavenly Kingdom period;the latter essentially belonging to a history of the soul is a shaping of the war by the author,which includes extremely novel textual artistic characteristics,and such works could only have emerged when China was first impacted by the Western world.Furthermore,considering the development of Ci-poetry studies in the Qing Dynasty,during the Opium War period,the Changzhou School of Ci-poetry gradually grew stronger,and its theoretical standard of"Ci-poetry also have history"and the advocacy of implicit metaphorical techniques could be affirmed to have been consciously practiced in creation.This is an important phenomenon in the study of Ci-poetry that has long been overlooked.The pinnacle of"Cishi"writing at the end of the Qing Dynasty and the beginning of the Republic of China is indeed founded on the lyrical stage of the Opium War period.This paper primarily expands existing research in three aspects.Firstly,relying on the compilation of the comprehensive collection Quanqing Ci(Complete Ci Poems in Qing Dynasty),a comprehensive census and statistical analysis of primary sources have been conducted,resulting in a significant breakthrough in the quantity of literature.Secondly,the interpretation of texts focuses on vertical and horizontal associations,centering on the individuality of the research object to ensure a precise and concrete approach.Thirdly,specific works are used to verify theoretical trends by reflecting on the criticism of lyric studies from the perspective of creation.This paper is grounded in originality and contributes to the advancement of Qing Dynasty Ci-poetry studies toward a more in-depth and comprehensive understanding.
the Opium Warrevolution"cishi"writingdocumentary spiritmetaphorical method
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