Fu(賦) style works of Ouyang Xiu are in a vague position in the boundary between verse and prose, but they have a unique style of art in Song Dynasty, making them important in literary history. He pursued the change of traditional Fu(賦) style of wo...
Fu(賦) style works of Ouyang Xiu are in a vague position in the boundary between verse and prose, but they have a unique style of art in Song Dynasty, making them important in literary history. He pursued the change of traditional Fu(賦) style of works, implemented his political and literary reforms through changes and expansion of sanctions and contents, and the creation of the Wenfu(文賦). In particular, the subsidiary Fu(賦) style works in his collection of writings, Jushiji(居士集) show the "Poti(破體)" of broken prose style characteristics of "YiWenweiFu(以文爲賦)" and "YiFuweiWen(以賦爲文)." Its prose style, such as a Jiwen(記文), a Jiwen(祭文) and a Xuwen(序文), contains beautiful and rich expressions, lyricism, narrative, and arguments. It also used a mixture of deformation and various prose style, focusing on routine sanctions, and restricted the use of sand dunes to express easy and natural beauty. Through everyday trivial subjects, it reveals various thoughts and emotions from individual tastes to life views and world views, and it has lyricism and argumentality. Ouyang Xiu, who pursued this kind of change in prose style, eventually created a new form called " 文賦(Wenfu)". OuYang Xiu's writing shows excellent completeness in content and form and actively reflects reality. Fu(賦) style works of Ouyang Xiu tend to correct poetic evils and insist on "治道(Zhidao)", and does not miss out on lyricism and entertainment. Ouyang Xiu established a new form of Fu(賦) style through communication and interaction of prose style by utilizing the characteristics of various sentences such as Siliuwen(四六文)and Guwen(古文).
Based on the above research, it can be seen that Ouyang Xiu approached Fu(賦) style that remained in the ambiguous area between verse and prose more in the prose style by changing and developing it. Therefore, conducting Fu(賦) style research as an prose style would reveal the change, development, and succession in a clearer and deeper way and enhance the value and significance of the Fu(賦) style. Furthermore, it will be an opportunity to reconsider the literary values of Baguwen(八股文), which was later introduced, and further highlight the characteristics of Chinese classical prose, which combines practicality and literary characteristics.