Wen Li is the collective name of the late Tang poets Wen Tingyun and Li Shangyin.
Their poetry styles all inherit the legacy of the Six Dynasties, with bright colors and soft writing styles, so they are so called. "New Book of Tang·Biography of Wen Tingyun" states that Tingyun's "work is Ci Zhang, and he is famous as well as Li Shangyin, named Wen Li". "The Biography of Talented Scholars of the Tang Dynasty" also said that Tingyun "composed colorful lyrics and was as famous as Li Shangyin, and was known as Wen Li".
The term "Wen and Li" refers to the same aspect of "praising each other" in their poetic styles ("The Biography of Talented Scholars of the Tang Dynasty"). This style of poetry had a great influence on the poetry world of the late Tang Dynasty and set the precedent for the graceful style of poetry after the Song Dynasty. Yuan Haowen also made criticism on this point when he said, "If Fengyun hates Young Master Zhang Hua, how can Wen Li Xin's voice be in vain" (Thirty Poems on Poems, Part 3).
Wen Li's poetry style
Hu Zhenheng's "Tang Yin Gui Sign" of the Ming Dynasty also praised Wen's poetry as "unique and quick". Lu Shiyong's "Summary of the Poetry Mirror" said: "Li Shangyin's beauty is leisurely and elegant, and his elegance and Taoism are vivid, but they are also a temporary victory; Wen Feiqing's words are ruthless, like flying catkins, and you don't know what to say." "Sikuquanshu General Catalog" It is even said that "Tingyun has many beautiful and beautiful words, but Shang Yin feels sad about things at times, which is quite popular with Feng Ren's purpose."
Li Shangyin's poems surpassed Wen Tingyun in terms of allegorizing current affairs and conveying deep feelings, but he used too many allusions and had obscure meanings, more so than Wen Tingyin's poems. Therefore, in terms of poetic achievements, Li Shangyin is slightly higher. Yu Wen Tingyun.