Sima Qian said that the poem "Calling the Soul" was the work of Qu Yuan, but Wang Yi of the Eastern Han Dynasty said in "Chu Ci Chapters": "The author of "Calling the Soul" was also written by Song Yu...Song Yu felt sorry for Qu Yuan He was loyal but rejected, worried about the mountains and rivers, his soul was lost, and his fate was about to fall. He pretended to write "Calling the Soul" in order to revive his spirit and prolong his life. King, hoping that he would awaken and return..."
Sima Qian did not say whose soul Qu Yuan recruited, but Wang Yi clearly pointed out that it was Song Yu who recruited Qu Yuan's soul, and took the trouble to explain that Song Yu wrote " The mentality and purpose of "The Soul Conjuring". The former is a master of historians, and the latter is a master of Chu Ci. This article is from the standpoint of "Anfu County Chronicles" and follows Wang's theory.
"Calling the Soul" is quite distinctive among Chu Ci. First, it describes the reasons for calling souls in the form of fantasy, then uses myths and legends to describe the dangers in the east, south, west, north, heaven and earth, and then uses the beauty of the home, food, music, entertainment, etc. to summon the wandering souls to return. Homeland casts the whole story in a sad and illusory atmosphere. Finally, at the end of the story, the main theme of "the soul returns to mourn Jiangnan" is highlighted, and the story ends abruptly.
The whole article has an orderly structure, vivid language, delicate writing, bold exaggeration, layered narrative, rich emotions, and pathos. It had a direct influence on the later emergence of the "Han Fu" style.