The Problem of Tradition and Innovation in Female Poetry in Medieval China: Based on the Poetic Cycle Ten Partings (“十離詩”) by Xue Tao (薛濤, 768–832)
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Abstract
The article presents the first Ukrainian translation as well as a detailed historical and literary analysis of the cycle Ten partings (“十離詩”) written by Xue Tao (薛濤, 768–832), one of the “Four Greatest Female Shi Poets of the Tang Dynasty” (“唐代四大女詩人”).
This cycle can be dated back to 789 or 809. It consists of ten quatrains, one of which is written as “ancient style poetry” gutishi (古體詩) while others are written as “modern style poetry” jintishi (近體詩).
A detailed analysis of the cycle has shown that the nine jintishi are not only written according to the strict rules of versification, but also have some identical elements: the balance between a level tone ping (平) and an oblique tone ze (仄), the number of rhymes (韻), compositional structure, etc.
The fourth poem “Parrot leaves the cage” (“鸚鵡離籠”) stands out in the cycle. It is not only written in different style (gutishi), but can also be seen as an example of the creation of a new poetic image. Thanks to “Fu on the Parrot” (“鸚鵡賦”) by Mi Heng (禰衡, 173–198) the image of a caged parrot is traditionally considered as a symbol of a gifted man or a poet whose talents lead to the loss of his freedom. But Xue Tao completely reinterprets this image by giving it a new connotation: now the caged parrot is a symbol of a lonely woman imprisoned in the luxurious inner chamber like a bird in a cage. Moreover, this image is ambivalent: it can be interpreted as a caged bird in the inner chamber to entertain a woman as well as a metaphor for a woman herself, who spends almost all her time there as in a cage.
The very new interpretation of the parrot was highly appreciated by both contemporaries and successors of Xue Tao: they repeatedly borrowed and used this image not only in shi, but also in the other genres of poetry.
How to Cite
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Xue Tao, Tang dynasty, poetry, “Ten partings” (“十離詩”), image
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