Abstract
Since the Wei and Jin dynasties, the focus of literary criticism gradually shifted to the author as collective creative writing was giving way to individual writing. At the same time, the reader was increasingly involved in literary activities, gaining the attention of critics. Literary criticism from the perspective of readers, which focuses on the reader's response and reading expectations, continually evolved, thereby reflecting the “reader consciousness” in the critic. Such approach in literary criticism became an alternative to that which centered on the author in the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern dynasties. Important concepts in Qi and Liang literary criticism such as Shen Yue's "three modes of easiness," Xie Tiao's "good poetry circulating like pearls," and Xiao Yi's "stirrings of the emotion and spirit" were all constructed on the basis of reader consciousness. These ideas formed the mainstream of literary criticism and had a profound impact on the practice of poetry writing. Palace poets in the late Liang dynasty emphasized the aesthetic use of poetry by identifying themselves with the reader. This radically changed the traditional view of lyricism as a way to expressing author’s ideals. The artistic features of Qi-Liang poetry and the reform of Qi-Liang poetry through restorations of the classical works in the Tang dynasty could be interpreted anew from the perspective of reader consciousness.
Keywords
literary criticism, reader consciousness, reader identity, the transformation of Qi-Liang poetry
First Page
133
Last Page
143
Recommended Citation
Cai, Yanfeng. 2022. "From Author to Reader: The "Reader Consciousness" and the Transformation of Qi-Liang Poetry." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 42, (4): pp.133-143. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol42/iss4/14
