The Concept of Xing in Du Fu’s Poetry and Its Implications for the Shift in Tang Poetics
Vol. 56 No. 2 6/2026
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Title |
The Concept of Xing in Du Fu’s Poetry and Its Implications for the Shift in Tang Poetics |
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Author |
Hsu Ming-chuan |
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Genre |
Article |
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Pages |
281~326 |
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Download |
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Language |
Chinese |
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Key words |
Du Fu 杜甫, xing 興, qianxing 遣興, shixing 詩興, “Stirred by Autumn” 秋興八首, Tang poetics |
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Abstract |
Compared with other poetic-critical terms in Du Fu’s 杜甫 (712–770) poetics, the term xing 興 actually appears the most frequently in his corpus. This article aims to clarify the semantic layers and poetic significance of xing as used in Du Fu’s poetry. It demonstrates that the usage of xing is multifaceted: while it includes traditional meanings such as tuoyu 託喻 and qiqing 起情, it also at times denotes a state of mind or poetic inspiration. In particular, his self-coined poetic category qianxing 遣興 (conveying what stirred me) expresses a mood of accumulated sorrow, revealing that xing comes to signify a sustained psychological condition. The article suggests that Du Fu’s deployment of xing reflects a shift in Tang poetic theory—from an emphasis on stimulus-response dynamics between self and object, to a new focus on inward, enduring affectivity as seen in terms like shixing 詩興 (poetic inspiration) and qianxing. This polyvalent use of xing marks the beginning of a conceptual transformation within Tang poetics. |