A Comparative Study of Chinese and Indian Classical Poetic Style Theories

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Gao Yu

Abstract

Both China and India have rich and profound style theories of classical poetics. Chinese classical poetic style theories attach great importance to personal style, experience a process of continuous enrichment, flourishing and declining, have rich and varied style types and expression methods. Meanwhile, Indian classical poetic style theories attach importance to the language style and ignore the personal style. The similarities of Chinese and Indian classical poetic style theories lie in the fact that they both have a four – in – one style core of content, form, method, and effect, and agree that different styles can be combined. The reason is that Chinese Unity of Man and Nature and Indian Brahman Atman Aikyam both have the characteristics of unity and harmony. The differences between Chinese and Indian classical poetic style theories are that: First, Chinese classical style theories focus on individual style, while Indian classical poetic style theories refuse to tell it in detail. The first reason is that China has lyrical tradition and India has epic narrative tradition. The second reason is that most Chinese literature is written by individuals, while most Indian literature is written by oral groups. Second, Chinese and Indian classical poetic style theories present different features in terms of style types. The reason lies in their different aesthetic objects and ranges. Third, Indian classical poetic style theories emphasize the language style, while Chinese classical poetic style theories are relatively weak in language style. This reason is that China has a writing tradition and values writing (hieroglyphics), while India has an oral tradition and values language (phonetics and semantics). Fourth, Chinese classical poetic style theories contain the content of the Time style, while Indian classical poetic style theories do not involve it. The reason is that China believes in the Unity of Man and Nature, while India believes in Brahman Atman Aikyam.

Published: Nov 14, 2022

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Section
Comparative Literature and Oriental Literary Theory