The reform-minded aspect of Wang's writing is frequently emphasized while its rhetorical component is overlooked. Similarly, in texts which appear poetic in nature the underlying subject matter of reform fails to be recognized. Both rhetoric and its antithesis function in tandem in all of Wang's texts, the one serving to balance the other; stylistic writing serves to soften political discourse. When Wang writes poetically, the problem of reform is served through allusion. In contrast, when direct terminology is employed, this is balanced by rhetorical analogy (often citing the past to prove the present, jie gu yu jin). Because his subject matter is predominantly political, Wang's memorials and prose texts are well known, while his poetry has remained in relative obscurity. Nevertheless, even the memorials rely on the balance of rhetoric and aesthetics, which he describes in his best known text "Shang Ren Zong Huang Di Yan Shi Shu".
| Identifer | oai:union.ndltd.org:TORONTO/oai:tspace.library.utoronto.ca:1807/17178 |
| Date | 24 February 2009 |
| Creators | Hetherington, William |
| Contributors | Sanders, Graham |
| Source Sets | University of Toronto |
| Language | en_ca |
| Detected Language | English |
| Type | Thesis |
| Format | 910568 bytes, application/pdf |
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