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This thesis analyzes the well-known seven-character gexing poem, “The Song of Yuan-Yuan” Yuanyuan Qu to understand if Yuanyuan Qu meets the standard of epic or "historic poetry". Yuanyuan Qu was written by the influential poet Wu Weiye who once boasted his work as "historical poetry". The theme of Yuanyuan Qu is about love and disloyalty concerning the Ming General Wu Sangui who betrayed his country to invite the country’s decades long enemy the Qing to fight the infamous bandits group led by Li Zicheng to regain his lover Chen Yuanyuan when the Ming Emperor committed suicide after Beijing was fallen into the hands of Li Zicheng. This study finds out that Wu Weiye did not depict the realistic plots when comparing poetic imagery with historic records. In other words, events taking place when the Ming was overthrown did not play a major in Yuanyuan Qu. Thus, it is clear that Yuanyuan Qu depoliticizes the actual events when the Qing successfully replaced the Ming. Although to write current events was a trend of that period, and those events commonly appeared in contemporary dramas, fictions, notes and other works, Yuanyuan Qu was still more like a lyric than epic. Despite of emphasizing on historic records, without the tradition of epic writing, Yuanyuan Qu cannot be read as an epic. It may be contributed to the fact that depoliticization could avoid sensitive political topics. The only key issue that Yuanyuan Qu highlighted was the importance of "filial piety" which was used to in the Poem to criticize Wu Sangui for being overly indulging in infatuation to secure Chen Yuanyuan, the Geisha, while sacrificing his father’s life. However the decision to open the gates of the Great Wall of China at Shanhai Pass to let Qing forces into China proper by Wu Sangui and its consequence was not mentioned in the Poem. Nevertheless, Yuanyuan Qu does not violate Wu Weiye’s poetic theories. Although this poem does not contain much valuable historical materials, it keeps Wu''s believe, the spirit of "heart history". Wu Weiye was famous of his lyric style known as "Meicun Style" which emphasizes the importance of poet’s inner subjective experience, creates a new field of style in poetry writing, and makes readers pay more attention to the inner mental activities of the poet.
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