Abstract
Liu Kezhuang (1187—1269)'s poetry exhibits notable syntactic innovation through its transgression of conventional poetic boundaries, generating distinctive rhythmic effects. Such unconventional structures are most prominent in his later works, especially in the central couplets of regulated verse, where they are often combined with classical allusions and sophisticated parallelism. Unlike typical jianghu and jiangxi poetry modes, these syntactic experiments display a strong affinity with parallel prose and its compositional techniques. Liu's fellow Fujian literati like Lin Xiyi also exhibited similar tendencies, suggesting the influence of regional literary practices on the broader poetic establishment. While striking to balance intellectual depth and compositional practicality, Liu's experimental approach remained constrained by poetic conventions and by the transition from the Song to the Yuan dynasties. As a result, his poetry represents a short-lived yet significant late-style innovation that explored new possibilities in the wake of the Tang-Song tradition's maturation.
Keywords
Liu Kezhuang, unconventional rhythm, structuralized poetry, late style
First Page
184
Last Page
193
Recommended Citation
Wu, Jinbang. 2026. "The Late Style of Song Poetry beyond the “Jianghu” Poetic Style: Syntactic Innovation in Liu Kezhuang's Poetry." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 46, (1): pp.184-193. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol46/iss1/18
