Abstract
In the eighth year of the Qianlong era (1743), Hang Shijun (1696-1772), a famous poet of the Zhejiang School, was demoted because of his disagreement with Emperor Qianlong about the "Inner Manchu and Outer Han" policy, in which the Manchu were given preferential treatment, while the Han were excluded. Shen Deqian (1673-1769), the leader of the poetry circle who was favored by Emperor Qianlong, wrote poems and presented them to Hang Shijun. By comparing Shen Deqian's two poems with those by the Jiangsu and Zhejiang scholars in the same period, this study identifies the internal consistency in their sympathy towards Hang Shijun and the latent discontent with the official cultural policy of the Qing dynasty. This discontent was also related to Shen Deqian's early friendship with the adherents of the former dynasty, and his later punishment by Emperor Qianlong for compiling the collection of poems of the Qing dynasty and the biography of Xu Shukui. Findings in this study imply that, as a representative of "Tai-ge School literati", Shen Deqian's individualized expression and his pursuit of "different tune" are still not well understood. Investigations of this topic broadens current understanding of Shen Deqian's literal thoughts, and clarifies his stereotyped public image. The subsequent quotation of Shen Deqian's student Wang Chang (1725-1806) and similar literary creation and speech of the time also support that there was general aloofness among the literati in the Qianlon-Jiaqing era. Most of the Tai-ge poets were simmered with discontent, which featured the mentality and literary thought of the literati in this period.
First Page
176
Last Page
187
Recommended Citation
Zhang, Haosu. 2021. "Aloofness of Tai-ge School Literati in the Qianlong Era (1736-1795): A Case Study of Shen Deqian." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 41, (3): pp.176-187. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol41/iss3/2
