Abstract
The “gediao theory” is one of the core principles of Ming-dynasty poetics, and its formation and development have run through the entire process of Ming-dynasty poetics. Zhao Yiguang, a Suzhou literatus of the late Ming dynasty, advocated the use of tone to interpret gediao and opened up a path for restoring the musical beauty of poetry. He applied the theory of gediao to calligraphy criticism, adopted the method of using poetry as a metaphor for calligraphy, and for the first time systematically discussed the connotation of the “gediao theory” in calligraphy studies. By using calligraphy to imitate the tones and restore ancient poetics, Zhao Yiguang reestablished the balanced semantic structure of the “gediao theory” and revitalized the increasingly imitative “gediao theory” in the late Ming dynasty. Zhao Yiguang's integration of poetry and calligraphy in the new “gediao theory” was inseparable from his multiple identities as a poetic critic, phonologist, and calligrapher. It is also based on the transition of late Ming to Qing dynasty literary trends from revivalism to innovation, making his adaptation and interpretation of “gediao theory” unique and distinctive.
Keywords
gediao (style and tone) theory, adaptation and interpretation, Zhao Yiguang, revivalism, innovation
Recommended Citation
Wang, Leichao. 2024. "The Adaptation and Interpretation of the “Gediao (Style and Tone) Theory”: A Case Study of Zhao Yiguang's Writings." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 44, (1). https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol44/iss1/10
