Abstract
The concept of poetic style provides an in-depth approach to studying retro poetics during the reigns of Emperors Hongzhi (14881505) and Zhengde (15061521). During this period, the concepts of poetic style of Li Mengyang and He Jingming, leaders of the retro movement, gradually deepened. During the reign of Emperor Hongzhi, the two did not yet possess mature ideas on venerating specific styles. Only after the early years of the Zhengde reign did they form an awareness of revering the Han and Wei dynasties while also modeling on the Jin and Song for the ancient style, and revering Du Fu and the High Tang for the recent style. As their concepts of poetic style became increasingly refined and rigorous, they began to disagree on various details, triggering the debate between Li Mengyang and He Jingming around 1517. The “Debate between Li and He” was not a dispute between imitation and creation, but rather a contestation of stylistic rules and methods within a shared adherence to retro style. It is from the perspective of style analysis that we can more profoundly understand the logic behind the literary practices of retro poets like Li and He and in turn grasp the internal rationale for the evolution of their poetics.
Keywords
the debate between Li Mengyang and He Jingming, style analysis, the retro school of the Ming dynasty, retro poetics
First Page
166
Last Page
176
Recommended Citation
Wang, Chunxiang. 2025. "The Development of Li Mengyang's and He Jingming's Concepts on Poetic Style." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 45, (5): pp.166-176. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol45/iss5/19
