Abstract

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Title:: Theory of Yifa: A Poetic Theory and Method in the Early QingDynasty from the View of Dufu’s Poems

Keywords:: theory of yifa; studies on Du Fu’s poetry; poetic studies in Qing Dynasty; accessing authorialintention via personal understanding

Abstract:: The poetic theory of yifa 意法（literally theme and form）, proposed by Chen Zhixun, was wellaccepted in the early Qing Dynasty. Attaching equal importance to both the theme and the pattern of poems,Chen’s theory emphasized the organic unity between content and form. As an importance poetic theory andmethod with universal significance, the yifa theory was not only a new development of the traditional poetictheory that advocated accessing the poet’s intention through developing due understanding of the poem at issuewith the help of one’s personal experience but an achievement in the studies on Du Fu’s poems in the earlyQing Dynasty as well. Chen’s theory is relatively systematic and comprehensive with well-defined conceptsand terms, reliable theoretical and textual sources and workable methods for doing poetic criticism, thus havingpositive implications for developing theory and method for doing ancient Chinese literary studies.