Poetry in the Sui and Early Tang Dynasties
4 min readAfter Emperor Wen of Sui reunited China，the vain and flamboyant poetry style began to wane due to the suppression of the rulers.The representative writers of this period were Lu Sidao Xue Daoheng，and Yang Su.But because Emperor Yang of Sui reached out for hedonism，the fresh and simplistic poetry style initiated by Empero Wen was gradually replaced by a glamorous style，with representatives being Jiang Zong，Xu Shanxin，Yu Shiji，Wang Zhou and Yu Zizhi.
In the early years of the Tang dynasty，scholars were concerned about whether Tang，after the short-lived Sui dynasty，could live long.Thus，the psychological characteristics of literati were a touch of sadness mingled with joy and a sense of calmness blended with objectivity.In the Tang dynasty at its height which featured political stability and economic prosperity，literary men were filled with confidence and heroism.The optimism and enthusiasm in their works sang out the strongest voice of the times and displayed the poets’deep love for their nation and country.The vastness and passion represented the most glorious and splendid horizo of the Tang dynasty.The well-known poets of this times were Meng Haoran，Wang Wei，Du Fu，Li Bai，Cen Can，Gao Shi，etc.However，in the middle of the Tang dynasty，scholars began to view their society rationally by exposing contradictions in ma jor social problems.They demonstrated a calm and objective feeling in their poetry.Thdesolation and hidden bitterness expressed the desires of poets in solving social contradictions.The Dali period of the mid-Tang dynasty（766-779）exhibited an obvious transition state and various forms of artistic creation，represented by” Ten Talented Scholars of Dali”，Bai Juyi，Yuan Zhen，Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan.The late Tang dynasty witnessed the decadency of its society.Poets wrote about the times and people’s life in a miserable，disappointed and melancholy mood.The poems were mostly frosty，solemn and depressing，represented by Li Shangyin，Du Mu，Pi Rixiu，Wei Zhuang，Wen Tingyun，etc.
Ten Talented Scholars of Dali”，Bai Juyi，Yuan Zhen，Han Yu and Liu Zongyuan.The late Tang dynasty witnessed the decadency of its society.Poets wrote about the times and people’s life in a miserable，disappointed and melancholy mood.The poems were mostly frosty，solemn and depressing，represented by Li Shangyin，Du Mu，Pi Rixiu，Wei Zhuang，Wen Tingyun，etc.
During the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period，literature was about ci，or lyric of songs.The most important ci-writers were Ouyang Jiong，Feng Yansi，Li Yi，etc.The truthful and lively expression of feelings exerted great influences on their times and later generations.
Poetry in the Sui and Early Tang Dynasties
In the Sui dynasty，the vain and flamboyant style of court poetry was still in domination，with most poets coming from the Southern and Northern dynasties.Of the co-existing writing styles，the Southern one prevailed.But some prestigious writers as Lu Sidao，Xue Daoheng and Yang Su also wrote some fresh and vigorous poems，breathing sort of new era.
The poems of the early Tang dynasty were still under the influence of the Sui poems.The well-known poets included Yu Shinan，Shangguan Yi，Du Shenyan，Shen Quanqi and Song Zhiwen.The biggest achievement of Shen Quanqi and Song Zhiwen in the history of Chinese poetry was that they fixed the already mature format of regulated verses.Since then，a set of strict writing rules in ancient Chinese poetry was formed.Some new poets arose with representatives being Wang Jie，”Four Masters of Early Tang”，Zhang Ruoxu and Chen Zi’ang.They objected the court poetry style and began to explore poems’new features.They contributed a lot to the artistic creation and expressive techniques.
Wang Jie（585-644）had his achievement focused on poetry.Being unconventional and unrestrained in his life，he once quit his officialdom and lived a hermit life，often comparing himself with Tao Yuanming and Ruan Ji.His most celebrated poem Gazing into the Wildness was so fresh and novel in touch and tones and the interaction between emotions and scenery. It inherited the descriptive skills and had a natural and simplistic sentiment. It is an idiomatic pastoral poem and has got rid of the flitty flavor of the poems of the former six dynasties, rendering Wang Jie the pioneer of the Tang dynasty’s pastoral poetry.
The “Four Masters of Early Tang”referr to Wang Bo, Yang Jiong, Lu Zhaolin and Luo Binwang.A11 well-known for their writings, they explored proactively in the connotation of poetry and tried to rid themselves the styles of Qi and Liang dynasties. In the reform of poetry styles, they also took the lead. With their contribution in regulated verses, poetry was turning from court to the masses, from pavilion to rivers, mountains, deserts and Gobi. The themes was broadened accompanied by serious thinking. People read a strenuous and upright spirit between the lines. Due to their efforts the style of five-character-eight-line regulated verse was coming into a tentative shape. Other poets who had credit for this style include Liu Xiyi and Zhang Ruoxu.
Chen Zi’ ang (659-700) was the greatest poet in the reform of poetry in early Tang. The “Four Masters of Early Tang”introduced poems from court to the masses, and Chen Zi’ ang led the poems to politics and society. His poems were simplistic inlanguage, boundless in artistic conception, robust in style and rich in connotation, and no traces of extravagancy from the 6 dynasties could be found. Chen played a very important role in the development and fixation of Tang poetry verses. His representative work is A Song at Youzhoutai.
