Since the 20th century, people who study Fu literature have made useful explorations on the connotation and extension of Fu. Some scholars seek the position of Fu in poetry, prose and other styles. At the beginning of the 20th century, Mr. Wang published What is Fu? Is it poetry or prose? At the end of the 20th century, Zhao Minli wrote On the History of Poetry in the Han Dynasty, which brought Han Fu into the study of China's poetry. On the other hand, what styles are included in Fu literature is also a concern of scholars. The History of China Literature, edited by Mr. You Guoen and others, as well as various research works on Fu-style literature, selected works of Fu-style literature in Han and Wei Dynasties, and even newly edited works on literary history in recent years, all contain some unmarked works, such as parallel prose and antithetical prose. All Han Fu compiled by Mr. Fei Zhengang is also based on this standard, so it is much broader than the standard of selecting Fu in Chen Yuanlong's Selected Works and Fu Hui of Past Dynasties in Qing Dynasty.
Undoubtedly, the discussion on the connotation and extension of Fu-style literature means deepening the research on Fu-style literature. But objectively, we should also see that the above viewpoints may blur the boundaries of Ci and Fu literature, and ultimately affect the clear grasp of the literary tradition and stylistic characteristics of Ci and Fu.
The fuzziness of the connotation and extension of fu style began with the annals of literature and art in Hanshu. Ban Guyun "recites and does not sing", taking Qu Yuan's works as the fu, and thinks that both Xunzi and Qu Yuan are "writing fu with the wind". Whether Ban Gu's "Fu" refers to literary style objectively cannot rule out the possibility that Ban Gu regards the works of Xunzi and Qu Yuan as Fu literature. Therefore, Mr. Luo Hongkai, a close friend, thinks that "Fu Ci is a general term, and the word is a big name, a posthumous title, and an old name."
However, we also noticed that before Ban Gu, Sima Qian's Biography of Qu Yuan and Jia Sheng: "After Qu Yuan's death, there were followers of Song Yu, Jing Ke in Chu, all of whom were kind words and named Fu; However, all ancestors who spoke calmly by Qu Yuan dared not directly remonstrate. " This passage of Sima Qian reminds us of Sima Qian's distinction between Ci and Fu, telling us that Ci and Fu are two literary genres with both connections and differences. Song Yu, Jing Ke and others all like Ci, but their fame is Fu. The literary achievements of Song Yu and others should mainly come from Fu. Although they can't "directly remonstrate" politically, their "calm rhetoric" in art is no different from Qu Yuan's. The article "On Song Yu's Le Tang Jingcha" is famous for its good words and fu "analyzes this, and holds that Chu Ci is a poem, while Song Yu and others' fu is not a poem.
Although Chu Ci is an important source of Fu, as Liu Xie has pointed out, Fu is different from Chu Ci. In Shi Ming, Wen Xin Diao Long, it is said that "Li Sao is a thorn if you grasp the irony of Chu", which is based on Chu Ci in the Warring States Period. However, "The Literary Mind Carving Long Quan Fu" said: "So Xun's courtesy, wisdom, Song Yuzhi's style, fishing, the name of Xi, poetry and painting became vassals of the six meanings." In this way, Liu Xie made it clear that Ci and Fu originated from Xunzi and Song Yu, and Qu Yuan could not be regarded as the person who initiated Ci and Fu literature. Of course, Qu Yuan's works, especially Buju, Fisherman, and Song Yu's works, such as Nine Arguments, Evocation of Soul, and Da Zhao, are included in Chu Ci, which is a transition from Chu Ci to Ci Fu and has a great relationship with Ci Fu literature. This is undeniable. (See Chapter 6 of the History of Warring States Literature, Wuhan Publishing House, 1996).
Since the 20th century, many scholars put the origin of Fu in the Han Dynasty, thinking that there was only great Fu after the Seven Immortals in Meicheng, and Song Yu's Fu was unreliable. By the end of the 20th century, with the discovery of Fu, the original hypothesis was shattered. Then, the origin of Fu style should return to Liu Xie's so-called Fu articles, such as Li, Zhi, Yun, Silkworm, Zhen and so on, and
"Wen Xin Diao Long Shi Fu" said: "Fu, paving also; Buy prose and write something. " Liu Xie's exposition accurately captures the basic characteristics of Fu-style literature. Fu literature is a genre of ancient poetry, which developed from the six meanings of The Book of Songs and was dedicated to the monarch or emperor by literary attendants. Ban Gu said, "Or lyrical allegory, or advocating loyalty and filial piety, supporting heirs, and restraining elegance and promoting elegance" (Preface to Fu in both capitals). Investigating Xunzi and Song Yufu, we find that the characteristics of Fu-style literary works by Sima Xiangru, Yang Xiong and other Han Fu writers are clearly reflected in Xunzi and Song Yufu: First, the creative purpose of Fu-style literature is satire and exhortation, and generally, Fu-style literature inherits the tradition of The Book of Songs and uses order to illustrate its creative purpose; Secondly, the basic structural form of Fu literature is dialogue. Thirdly, Fu-style literature takes layout as the basic description technique. Fourth, the aesthetic style pursued by Fu Xue.
Because the Fu literature was born in the Warring States period when there were many military strategists, and because the original author had an indissoluble bond with Chu Ci, there were the shadows of military strategists and Qu Yuan from the day it came into being. However, the most direct spiritual inheritance of Fu-style literature is still The Book of Songs. From Ban Gu, Liu Xie to Cheng, they all emphasized the connection between fu and poetry, which makes sense. Today's scholars pay more attention to the influence of Chu Ci and strategists in the Warring States period on Han Fu, but ignore the connection between Fu literature and The Book of Songs in the purpose of creation, which inevitably leads to the suspicion of abandoning the root and chasing the end.
Because of its prominent position in the Han Dynasty, Fu literature had an influence on many styles of the Han Dynasty, and this influence may be an interactive relationship. A Brief History of Fu written by suzuki torao, a Japanese, thinks that Fu is a generic name, while Liu Yongji's A Brief Literature of the Fourteenth Dynasties: A Brief Introduction to Fu Family thinks that Fu or praise must be combined or the discussion must be combined. Yang Xiong's Jiu Fu, also known as Jiu Zhen, Ma Rong's Di Fu, also known as Di Fu, Wang Bao's Dong Xiao Fu, also known as Dong Xiao Fu, Xiang An's Family Theory, Yun Jiayi's On Qin, and Lu Ji's On Death, are all endowed with styles. This view, if we emphasize the mutual influence of the above styles with a case of a writer in Han Dynasty, will undoubtedly see the essence of the problem, but it is harmful to exaggerate this influence indefinitely. Because of the problems of praise, ode and theory, and the division of functions of fu, it should be very clear. Therefore, Zhang Taiyan's "On the Balance of National Heritage and Poetry Debate" said: "Answering guests" and "laughing" are popular, and the words are complicated and assigned at the end. "As for the parallel prose represented by Song Yu's" Ask the King of Chu ",it is actually an applied style, and the seven styles represented by Mei Cheng's" Seven Hair "are in the same strain as parallel prose and should be classified as prose in Wen Xin Diao Long Zawen, which should be very accurate.
In short, it is necessary for us to have a deeper understanding of the connotation of Fu literature today. However, for the extension of Ci Fu, we should strictly distinguish Ci Fu from other styles influenced by Ci Fu literature. We should return our research scope to the scope defined in the Selected Works of Fu in previous dynasties, that is, strictly limited to works named after Fu. Only in this way can we accurately grasp the connotation and essence of Fu.