From the end of the Eastern Han Dynasty to the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, it was a period of great political, economic, and cultural changes in Chinese history. Violent social unrest and frequent dynasty changes caused the basic disintegration of the unified society of the two Han Dynasties. Confucian classics With the decline of rule, the literati's thoughts were liberated, and metaphysical thinking that focused on academic speculation and life insights began to flourish, breaking away from the classic meanings and norms of Confucianism.
The scholars of the Seven Sages in the Bamboo Forest were deeply touched by the turmoil of society, the decline of people's livelihood, the shortness of life, and the difficulty of grasping the rise and fall of honor and disgrace. They could not help but think more deeply about life, and Lao-Zhuang thought emerged from this. At that time, literati were filled with emotion, and the expressive function of poetry was fully brought into play. Jian'an writers took Sancao as the core and "Seven Sons" as their wings. "Looking at the writing of the time, it is elegant and generous. Good things come from the chaos of the world, and the decline of customs and resentments. Their ambitions are deep and their writing is long, so they are concise and full of energy." ( "Wen Xin Diao Long·Chronology"). The above-mentioned characteristics of Jian'an literature were called "Jian'an style" or "Han and Wei style" by later generations. After bidding farewell to the literature of the Jian'an period that was non-utilitarian, focused on love, emphasizing individuality, and pursuing the beauty of generosity and sadness, from the Western Jin Dynasty to the Eastern Jin Dynasty, the Tu aristocrats were full of worries in their wealthy and peaceful lives, and were often involved in political whirlpools. "Afraid of the big snare, worried about disaster once it comes", their works began to show the ideological tendency of adapting to the environment and preserving life. Some poets placed their affection on the mountains and rivers and rested their spirits. At the time when metaphysics was popular, the studies of "Lao" and "Zhuang" were all the rage, and celebrities all considered it fashionable to talk about metaphysics. Under the influence of this trend of talking about metaphysics in a clear way, the metaphysics that were "exaggerated and indifferent" Literature was prevalent, and literary works were also filled with abstract concepts such as "inaction", "nameless", "free" and "equal things". "Poems must return to the purpose under the pillars, and poems are the meanings of Qiyuan."
Some scholars gradually recognized their historical mission, stayed away from dangerous politics, and lived in seclusion with resentment as a silent protest against the regime at that time. This is the fundamental characteristic of celebrities in the Wei and Jin Dynasties. The most famous celebrities during this period were the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove". The "Seven Sages" refer to Ruan Ji, Ji Kang, Shan Tao, Liu Ling, Ruan Xian, Xiang Xiu and Wang Rong. They were unrestrained and uninhibited, often singing and drinking under the bamboo forest. Their poems and essays also expressed their broad-minded feelings, landscapes, and seclusion. Tao Yuanming, who inherited the tradition of Ruan Ji, Ji Kang and others, developed Linquan Zhishe to a very complete stage, opened up a new realm of landscape pastoral poetry, and was promoted as "the ancestor of hermit poets in ancient and modern times" Zhong Rong ("Shipin") ).