Textual Borrowing of Aftertime Literati from the Nineteen Old Poems

Abstract

The Nineteen Old Poems, hailed as the crown jewel of five-character lines, has left an indelible mark on countless poets of subsequent generations, inspiring an array of imitative works. This paper aims to explore the diverse practices of textual borrowing from the Nineteen Old Poems across three distinct historical periods: the late Han and Wei-Jin periods (Cao brothers, Ruan Ji, Lu Ji), the Tang dynasty (Li Bai, Wei Yingwu), and the Ming dynasty (He Jingming, Li Panlong, and others among the Earlier and Later Seven Masters). By selecting representative imitative poems from these poets and comparing them with the original works, this paper reveals that each dynasty (period) exhibits unique characteristics in its textual borrowing from the Nineteen Old Poems, which differ widely. Notably, the influence of these poems was widespread during the late Han and Wei-Jin period, but varied significantly during the Tang dynasty due to the diversity of poets and poetic styles. This paper sheds light on the innovative linguistic styles and artistic techniques prevalent during the Wei-Jin period, as well as the tendency towards literati stylization, delves into the inheritance and reformation of the ancient poetic tradition by literati during the Classical Revival Movement in the Ming dynasty, contributes to the broader research on imitative poetry derived from the Nineteen Old Poems and probes into its artistic achievements and literary value.