ЦАО ПІ «ДЯНЬ ЛУНЬ. ЛУНЬ ВЕНЬ»

Abstract

Cao Pi (曹丕, 187–226) is the second son of the great general Cao Cao (曹操, 155–220) and the first emperor of the Wei (魏, 220–265) dynasty. Although Cao Pi gained power in a struggle with his younger brother Cao Zhi (曹植, 192– 232), his rule was relatively stable and successful. He focused on strengthening the Wei state’s military, political, and economic positions, carried out administrative reforms, and helped develop literature and culture. In addition to his political activities, Cao Pi was also known as one of the most talented poets and writers of his time. Even in his youth, Cao Pi was noted for his great talent and abilities in literature, music and painting. He wrote more than a hundred poems, which were distinguished by unique rhymes and rhythmic system, but were written in a simple and concise language. Cao Pi’s most famous poem, “Song of Yan” («燕歌行») is considered the earliest example of a heptad verse. It has been completely preserved in a seven-syllable form, which is distinguished by the unique rhythm and rhyme of each stanza. The poem reflects the atmosphere of chaos and wandering at the end of the Eastern Han era and expresses the bitterness and sadness of divorced men and women. In his prose, Cao Pi addressed various topics such as historical events, philosophy, moral issues, and human relationships. He also wrote critical essays in which he analyzed and evaluated the works of other writers of his time. His most famous work is the treatise “Dian Lun. Lun wen” («典论. 论论», lit. “Discussion of the classics. Critical articles”). This is a collection of essays on political, social, cultural and other topics, which consists of twenty special articles. One of these essays – “Lun Wen” – is the first theoretical work on the history of Chinese stylistics and literary criticism, only it has reached our time, all the others have been lost. The treatise was written during the time when Cao Pi was the heir to the throne; this fact influenced the ideas presented in the work: literature, although it had a very important place in Chinese culture, was raised to an unprecedentedly high level thanks to this treatise. Cao Pi believed that literary works were “relevant to the business of governing the country” and also called them “a great achievement that can be handed down to future generations», he ranked literary works above “glory and happiness”, “splendid speeches of historians” and power high-ranking officials. This statement made it possible to codify the significant value of literature and became a major breakthrough in the development of literature and the manifestation of literary consciousness, and also influenced the flourishing of literary creativity, theory and criticism in subsequent generations.