Rediscovering Wen Tingyun: A Historical Key To A Poetic Labyrinth (suny Series In Chinese Philosophy And Culture)

A new look at the life, times, and work of the great Tang dynasty poet, Wen Tingyun, that rebuts the negative aspects of his reputation. Translations of a number of his works are included. Cover......Page 1 Rediscovering Wen Tingyun......Page 2 Contents......Page 6 Acknowledgments......Page 8 Abbreviations......Page 10 THE TIME OF WEN TINGYUN: RAMPANT EUNUCH POWER......Page 12 THE STUDY OF WEN TINGYUN: LASTING HISTORICAL PREJUDICES......Page 14 IS WEN TINGYUN WRITING ANOTHER’S DREAM?......Page 18 CLAN ORIGIN AND NATIVE PLACE......Page 22 REMAINING PRESTIGE OF AN ARISTOCRATIC FAMILY......Page 26 SPECIAL SOCIAL CONNECTIONS......Page 35 A MOST ABSTRUSE ALLUSION TO THE EUNUCHS......Page 42 THE YEAR OF HAVING THE WAY AND EPISTLE PRESENTED TO PRIME MINSTER PEI......Page 46 OTHER “CIRCUMSTANTIAL EVIDENCE”......Page 53 DAYS OF DILIGENT STUDIES......Page 60 FAR WANDERINGS AND WEN ZAO......Page 64 JOURNEY ALONG THE RIVER AND FRIENDSHIP WITH BUDDHIST MONKS......Page 74 RELATIONSHIP WITH WANG YA......Page 80 AN INITIAL INVESTIGATION OF THE JIANGHUAI INCIDENT......Page 83 FURTHER STUDY AND CLARIFICATION OF THE INCIDENT......Page 92 INTRODUCTORY REMARKS......Page 102 CLUES FOUND IN WEN’S WORKS......Page 107 EVIDENCE ELICITED FROM A STUDY OF TWO EPISTLES......Page 111 THE HIDDEN STORY IN HUNDRED-RHYME POEM......Page 122 AN ENIGMA OF THE SPHINX......Page 134 THEORY GUIDING WEN’S POETIC COMPOSITION......Page 148 MORE EXAMPLES......Page 152 “EQUIVALENT TO PASSING” YET “FAILED TO PASS”......Page 160 THE CHANGE OF NAME......Page 170 WEN’S AFTERTHOUGHT......Page 179 COMPLICATIONS IN WEN’S FRUSTRATED EFFORTS......Page 186 THE TRUTH OF THE FOURTEEN PUSAMAN......Page 202 Conclusion......Page 226 Appendix......Page 236 INTRODUCTION......Page 250 CHAPTER ONE......Page 251 CHAPTER TWO......Page 255 CHAPTER THREE......Page 259 CHAPTER FOUR......Page 262 CHAPTER FIVE......Page 265 CHAPTER SIX......Page 269 CHAPTER SEVEN......Page 271 CHAPTER EIGHT......Page 275 CONCLUSION......Page 278 Bibliography......Page 280 C......Page 290 D......Page 291 F......Page 292 I......Page 293 L......Page 294 P......Page 296 Q......Page 297 S......Page 298 W......Page 299 Y......Page 302 Z......Page 303 In This Book, Huaichuan Mou Takes A Fresh Look At The Life, Times, And Work Of Wen Tingyun, The Great Poet Of The Late Tang Dynasty In China, Whose Reputation Has Been Overshadowed By Notoriety And Misunderstanding For More Than A Thousand Years. In Probing The Political Intricacies Of The Major Events Of Wen's Life And The Complex Contexts In Which These Events Took Place, Mou Presents A Historical Key To Wen's Artistic Labyrinth, Unraveling Many Of Wen's Poetic Puzzles And Rediscovering A Historical Past That Vividly Represents His Unyielding Pursuit Of Ideal Government And True Love. This Reconstruction Of The Poet's Life Results In A New Understanding Not Only Of His Literary Work But Also Of Late Tang History As Well. Translations And Close Readings Of A Number Of Poems And Prose Essays Are Included.--jacket. Ch. 1. Family Background -- Ch. 2. Wen's Birth Year -- Ch. 3. Before The Year Of Having No Doubts -- Ch. 4. Wen's Marriage -- A Case Of Scandal -- Ch. 5. Secret Attendance Upon The Heir Apparent -- Ch. 6. Mystifying Poetry -- Ch. 7. Changing Name And Taking The Examination -- Ch. 8. Highlights During The Dazhong Era. Huaichuan Mou. Includes Bibliographical References (p. 269-278) And Index.