The Tang-Song period (618–1279) saw the rise of both the qi 氣 (lifebreath)-centered theory, founded by Han Yu 韓愈 (768–824) in the mid-Tang, and the chan 禪 (enlightenment)-centered theory, pioneered by Su Shi 蘇軾 (1037–1101) in the late Northern Song. Blazing the trail for new ways to think about literary creation, they truncated Lu Ji's, Liu Xie's, and Wang Changling's comprehensive investigations (see chaps. 2 and 4), turning their attention almost exclusively to the first creative phase (the writer's physical and mental preparations), given least attention by Lu, Liu, and Wang. This shift reflects the profound changes in both literary practice and theory taking place in Han Yu's and Su Shi's times.
By the mid-Tang, the Six Dynasties’ belletristic obsessions, particularly the pursuit of parallel phrasing and metrical patterning, had largely run its course. Divorced from ethico-sociopolitical concerns and dominated by literati from aristocratic clans, Six Dynasties literature was increasingly...
