The Eight Century Poetic Manner: On Exploration of the "She-Song Century" (Book Review)

Abstract

Among many narrations of Tang poetry history, the theory of “Four Periods of Tang Poetry” proposed by Gao Bing高棅 (1350-1423) in early Ming has acquired a very unique commanding position and exerted considerable impact on the interpretative methods and perspectives in the study of Tang poetry. Although continuously faced with numerous scholars’ severe challenges from Ming and Qing to present day, so far it looks like that no other interpretive modes could replace it. In order to shake off this dogmatic interpretive atmosphere, Wu Guangxing’s book, The Eighth Century Poetic Manner: On Exploration of the “Shen-Song Century” (705-805) in Tang Poetic History provides new insights into Tang poetic history from the eighth century.