模仿与创新：江淹《效阮公诗十五首》研究 = IMITATION AND INNOVATION: A STUDY OF JIANG YAN'S 'FIFTEEN POEMS IN IMITATION OF RUAN JI'

Abstract

Jiang Yan was a poet known for his imitation works. In imitation of Ruan Ji’s “Singing of My Cares”, Jiang Yan’s “Fifteen Poems in Imitation of Ruan Ji” is one of his masterpieces. Jiang Yan was committed to a high degree of imitation by restoring the original work as much as possible by employing allusions, imagery, and ideas to create a distant echo between the two works. While emulating Ruan Ji, Jiang Yan also attempts to put a new spin on the literary proposal to demonstrate his literary talent and convey his aesthetic sensibility. In particular, the depth of themes, the arrangement of allusions, the modification of the rhyme, and the refinement of structure enriched the meaning of the poems. While satire is the primary motive for these poems, Jiang Yan also slowly unveils his self-examination of the future through the poems: the ambivalence about “serving” and “living in seclusion” emanates from the darkness of the officialdom and his undesired political career; the contemplation about the universe, the changes of physical matters, and the finality of life is his exploration of the nature and meaning of life. This thesis aims to examine the psychological mechanism of his poetic composition in imitation of Ruan Ji, the inheritance and transformation of Ruan Ji’s “Singing of My Cares” by this poetic composition, and the realistic life experiences of the poet during troubled times.