Abstract
The term yuefu yiqu (yuefu poetry in melody-reliant form) in Wen Tingyun's Funerary Inscription for Yang Nian does not denote a poetic composition dependent on meldoy, but rather reflects the poet's vision of yuefu poetry's “melody-reliant” nature - an expressive aspiration to adapt works according to yuefu conventions. Guo Maoqian's classification of Wen Tingyun's self-composed yuefu poems with new titles as yuefu yiqu in his Collection of Yuefu Poetry directly follows Wen's original intent. Wen's emphasis on the musical essence of yuefu poetry constitutes a response to the New Yuefu faction's shift toward meaning-centered, rather than music-centered interpretation. In his own compositions, Wen drew on the Han-Wei tradition for titles and forms, absorbed the diction and emotional expression of the Southern Dynasties, and inherited Li He's focus on musicality and lyricism. Amid the late Tang context of the flourishing qu-lyrics and the decline of ancient yuefu traditions, Wen Tingyun consciously sought to reintegrate sound, music and poetry in yuefu composition. His practice represents an intellectual effort to revive the classical yuefu spirit against the backdrop of prevailing entertainment trends.
Keywords
Wen Tingyun, Yang Nian, Li He, yuefu poetry, yiqu (melody-reliant form)
First Page
130
Last Page
140
Recommended Citation
Liang, Haiyan, and Tianjun Li. 2025. "A New Interpretation of the Connotations and Significance of Wen Tingyun's Yuefu Yiqu: On the Musical Adaptation of Yuefu Poetry in the Tang Dynasty." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 45, (5): pp.130-140. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol45/iss5/16
