The Four Great Masters of Zhongxing, collectively known as the Four Great Masters of the Southern Song Dynasty in China, are You Kuan, Yang Wanli, Fan Chengda and Lu You. They were able to break away from the prison of the Jiangxi Poetry School and write works with unique ideological and artistic characteristics. Their great influence represented the second most prosperous period of poetry in the Song Dynasty.
At that time, Yang and Lu were particularly famous. Very few of You Miao's works have been handed down; although Yang and Fan are not as good as Lu You, they each have their own characteristics. Yang Wanli rejected the rigid style of Jiangxi Poetry School and created a lively and natural Cheng Zhai style.
The number of works handed down by Yang Wanli and Lu You is astonishing. The four great poets of Zhongxing represent the second most prosperous period of poetry in the Song Dynasty. Yang Wanli has "Chengzhai Collection", Fan Chengda has "Fan Shihu Collection", and Lu You has "Lu Fangweng Collection" handed down to the world.
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Many of Lu You's poems express the heroic spirit of fighting against the Jin Dynasty and the hatred of enemies and traitors. The style is majestic and unrestrained, melancholy and tragic, and full of strong patriotism. He was passionate about doctrine and made outstanding achievements in ideology and art. He was known as "Little Li Bai" during his lifetime. He not only became the leader of poetry in the Southern Song Dynasty, but also enjoyed a high status in the history of Chinese literature.
Fan Chengda's works had a significant influence at that time, and their influence was particularly great in the early Qing Dynasty. There was "Jiannan at home and Shihu at home" ("Jiannan" refers to Lu You's "Jiannan Poetry Manuscript") ) said.
His poetry style is light and light, but it is easy to use obscure scriptures and Buddhist scriptures. "Pastoral Miscellaneous Poems in Four Seasons" (60 poems) written in his later years is his representative work. Qian Zhongshu called it "a collection of ancient Chinese pastoral poems" in "Selected Notes on Song Poems". He is also a famous lyricist and perhaps a geographer.