Exposition on the Tang Poetry Seven-Character Eight-Line Form

3 Sample Essays Exposition on the Tang Poetry Seven-Character Eight-Line Form
 

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I. Outline Exposition on the Tang Poetry Seven-Character Eight-Line Form (Standard)

1. Introduction

Introduce the genre of Seven-Character Eight-Line Tang Poetry.

2. Body of the Essay

* Origin:
- First appeared during the Tang Dynasty in China
- The Seven-Character Eight-Line Tang Poetry genre was introduced to Vietnam during the Northern domination period.

* Characteristics of the Poetry Form:
- Concise yet tightly regulated. Each poem consists of 8 lines, each line with seven words.
- Rule of equal and unequal: Depending on the artistic creativity and intention of each poet, there are poems with equal rhymes and poems with unequal rhymes. However, the number of poems with equal rhymes is more prevalent.
- Rhyming scheme: The last word of the first line rhymes with the last word of lines 2 and 4. The last word of the second line rhymes with the last word of the last line.

- Structure: 4 parts (Introduction-Body-Analysis-Conclusion)
+ 2 introduction lines: Introduce the subject and issues to be discussed.
+ 2 body lines: Develop the ideas from the introductory lines.
+ 2 analysis lines: Provide comments and expand on the ideas.
+ 2 conclusion lines: Summarize and conclude the discussion.

Illustration through a Seven-Character Eight-Line Tang Poetry Example

* Evaluation of the Poetry Form:
- The Seven-Character Eight-Line Tang Poetry form is concise, profound, and musically rich.
- Strict poetic rules, the number of words in each line must be adhered to, and no additions or omissions are allowed, making it challenging.

3. Conclusion

Affirming the value and position of the Seven-Character Eight-Line Tang Poetry form
 

II. Exemplary Essay on the Seven-word Verses and Eight-line Regulations

 

1. Exposition on the Seven-word Verses and Eight-line Regulations, Sample 1:

The seven-word verses and eight-line regulations are prevalent poetic forms in the poetry of the Tang Dynasty, favored by Vietnamese poets. It involves using a seven-word verse as the rhythmic unit.

Originating early in China, derived from the ancient seven-word poetic form, it flourished during the Tang Dynasty. Through cultural exchanges over a thousand years under Northern domination, this poetic form made its way to Vietnam and was embraced by classical Vietnamese poets such as Nguyen Trai, Nguyen Binh Khiem, Nguyen Khuyen, Ho Xuan Huong, and Ba Huyen Thanh Quan. After 1930, modern poets, especially those of the new poetry movement, revolutionized the poetic landscape, breaking free from the rigid forms of traditional poetry. However, the seven-word verses and eight-line regulations persisted. Although there have been changes in modern seven-word verses, including continuous poetic forms, flexible rhyme schemes, and more dynamic regulations, this form has given rise to extensive works. An exemplary instance is the epic poem 'Following Uncle Ho' by poet To Huu.

The structure of the seven-word verses and eight-line regulations comprises four sections, each with two verses taking on specific tasks. The first two verses introduce the time, space, objects, and events. The next two verses elaborate and describe the objects and events. The subsequent two verses present thoughts, attitudes, and emotions about the objects and phenomena. The final two verses conclude by summarizing the entire content in an expansive and elevated manner. In some cases, the descriptive and argumentative sections share the task of both illustrating and discussing, as seen in the poem 'Over Ngang Pass' by BHTQ:

'Lom khom beneath the mountain, a few buffaloes
Lác đác by the river, some market stalls.'

'Remembering the homeland, the heart aches
Caring for the family, the mouth is weary.'

Rhythm is a crucial factor in creating the poetic cadence of the seven-word verses. It is also known as the law of tonal arrangement among the syllables in each line and the lines in each stanza, each poem. Tonal marks include the grave and acute accents, the hook, the question mark, the exclamation mark, the tilde, and the dot. In each line of poetry, tonal arrangements are strictly regulated according to the principle 'One three five are not considered' (ignoring the tones on syllables 1, 3, 5) and 'Two four six are distinctly defined' (clearly defining the tones on syllables 2, 4, 6). The relationship between tonal arrangement in each section—introduction, elaboration, argument, conclusion—must be opposite; whereas 1-8, 2-3, 4-5, 6-7 must be harmonious. This perspective reveals the strict regulations on contrast and laws in the seven-word verses and eight-line regulations. By simply relying on the second syllable of the opening verse, one can determine whether the poem adheres to the law of tonal arrangement or not. For example:.... However, in modern poetry, these tonal regulations are not obligatory.

Rhyme is a component of language, regardless of vowels and initial consonants (if any). Rhyme coordination is one of the principles in poetic composition; words with similar rhyming components are considered rhyming pairs. In contrast to the six-eight verses, the seven-word verses and eight-line regulations employ leg rhyming, with rhymes placed at the end of lines 1, 2, 4, 6, 8.

Furthermore, poetic rhythm is a crucial element in creating the melody of poetry. The way rhythm is punctuated in poetry is not merely to create pauses during reading but, more importantly, it contributes to expressing the content and meaning needing to be conveyed. In this poetic form, rhythm can be punctuated four-three or three-four more commonly. However, in some works, the author has altered the usual rhythm punctuation to serve a specific artistic intent. We take the example of the poem 'Over Ngang Pass' by BHTQ:

'Lom khom beneath, buffaloes here and there
Lác đác by the river, market stalls somewhere.'

The rhythm punctuated as 2/2/3 somewhat reveals the ruggedness of the scenery and the loneliness, melancholy of the people.

2. Exposition on the Seven-Word, Eight-Line Poetry of Duong Law, Model 2:

In Vietnamese literature, there are numerous poetic forms that have contributed to the success of many poets. The poetic forms in the treasury of poetry are truly diverse, especially during our medieval poetry era, influenced by Chinese literature. An exemplary form is the seven-word, eight-line poetry.

The arrangement of parallels and perpendiculars follows the pattern 'First, third, fifth are parallel. Second, fourth, sixth are perpendicular.' They alternate accordingly. For instance, if the second line has a parallel tone, the fourth line will have a perpendicular tone, and vice versa (if the first couplet is 2 parallel, 4 perpendicular, 6 parallel, the next couplet will be 2 perpendicular, 4 parallel, 6 perpendicular). An example from a poem is:

'Late at night, the echoing drum resonates'
Parallel B............... T............. B............

'Bare the rosy countenance against the virgin landscape.'
Tone T........ B.......... T.............

(Personal Feelings 2 - Ho Xuan Huong).

Continuing with the conventions of poetry, seven-word, eight-line poetry can be approached in two common ways:
Seven-word, eight-line poetry according to the Duong Law: Adhering strictly to rules of Tone, Parallelism, and Rhyme, with a clear structure.
Seven-word, eight-line poetry in Classical Style: Deviating from clear rules, using a single rhyme (monorhyme) or multiple rhymes (linked rhyme), but the rhyme must still conform to the rules of sound, with alternating parallel and perpendicular tones for easy reading.
Another approach is the Han Law. Seven-word, eight-line poems in Nôm characters are often referred to as Han Law poetry.

For example, in the self-expressive poem by Ho Xuan Huong, we can observe its unique rhyme schemes:

'In the quiet of night, drums echo with persistence,
Bare, the lovely face amidst untamed existence.
A cup of wine extends its fragrant allure, from sobriety to trance,
Moon's silhouette, incomplete, in a celestial dance.
Across the earth's canvas, mossy clusters abound,
Piercing through clouds, stones scattered around.
Weary of spring's eternal ebb and flow,
A snippet of love unfolds in a gentle glow.'

Here, notice the cluster of words like 'existence,' 'dance,' 'around,' and 'glow.' This signifies adherence to the poetic form 'Thất ngôn bát cú,' where rhyming often finds its place at the poem's conclusion.

Discussing the structure of a poem in 'Thất ngôn bát cú' form, we find four parts: introduction, description, discussion, and conclusion. The first two lines express general sentiments about people and scenery. The subsequent two lines vividly describe scenes, actions, or emotions, providing clarity to the sentiments presented in the introduction. Following is the discussion phase, expanding on the poet's main ideas. Finally, concluding lines wrap up the poem, emphasizing the emotions expressed earlier.

Through this, we grasp the essence of crafting a poem in 'Thất ngôn bát cú.' The rules and structures contribute to the charm of poems following this specific style.

3. Elaboration on the Thất ngôn bát cú poetic form, Law of the Tang Dynasty, model number 3:

The Tang Dynasty Law poetry originated in China and gained robust development in its homeland, extending its influence vigorously to neighboring regions, including Vietnam. Tang Dynasty Law poetry adheres to a complex set of rules manifested in five aspects: Law, Measure, Rhyme, Couplets, and Structure. While there are various forms of Tang Dynasty Law poetry, Thất ngôn bát cú is considered a standard form, a representative genre in medieval poetry.

Thất ngôn bát cú consists of eight lines, each with seven characters. The Tang Dynasty Law is a poetic law dating back to the Tang Dynasty (618-907) in China. Thus, a complete Thất ngôn bát cú poem comprises 56 characters. It employs a single rhyme at the end of lines 1, 2, 4, 6, 8, with consistent rhyme across them. This rule is exemplified distinctly in Bà huyện Thanh Quan's poem 'Crossing the Ngang Pass':

Stepping onto Ngang Pass, shadows lengthen with grace
Grasses and trees intermingle, rocks adorned with flowers' trace
Beneath the mountain, a scattered few in quiet play
By the river, a lively market, houses in array
Longing for the homeland, aching hearts persist
Yearning for family, wearied mouths insist
Halting footsteps, gazing at the boundless sky and land
A solitary love unfolds, me with myself, hand in hand.

Rhyming words dance together: grace, flower, house, home, self. This contributes to infusing the poem with a rhythmic flow, alleviating the rigidity often associated with a poetic form demanding strict adherence to rules. There's a contrast between lines 3 and 4, lines 5 and 6 (essentially, the four middle lines), creating a juxtaposition, both in contrast and equivalence in word usage. This is most evident in the poem 'Crossing the Ngang Pass':

Amidst the mountain's whispers, a few tiptoe
By the riverside, a market, houses in a row
Yearning for the homeland, the heart echoes persistently
Fondness for family, weariness lingers insistently

'Whispers' contrasting with 'rustles,' 'beneath the mountain' opposing 'by the river,' 'longing for the homeland' counterbalancing 'fondness for family'... The contrasts are precise and clear, both in terms of words and sounds. This is exemplified vividly in Tú Xương's poem 'Yearning for the Wife':

A solitary egret in the quiet expanse
Rippling waters in the winter boat's trance
One fate, two debts, fate decides
Ten years of sun, ten rains, steadfast strides.

The art of opposing symmetric and finely adjusted lines, like 'Diving' towards the 'slender waist', or 'empty stretches' towards the 'winter ferry'... In Tang poetry, when verse 3 does not correspond to verse 4, and verse 5 does not match verse 6, it is called 'mismatch'.

In addition, this poetry form also follows clear rhyme rules, especially the principle of rhyme. Verses rhyme with each other when the second character of two lines follows the same rule, either both are even or both are odd, resulting in even rhyming with even and odd rhyming with odd. Typically, a standard Tang poem with seven words in each of the eight lines follows this pattern: verse 1 rhymes with verse 8; verse 2 rhymes with verse 3; verse 4 rhymes with verse 5; verse 6 rhymes with verse 7. Rhyme refers to words with similar or closely similar pronunciations, used to create rhythm in poetry. In a standard Tang poem, rhyme is used at the end of lines 1, 2, 4, 6, and 8. Words with exactly the same rhyme are called 'exact rhyme,' while words with closely similar rhyme are called 'near rhyme.' Most Tang poems use perfect rhyme, but there are exceptions. Regarding structure, a standard Tang poem consists of four parts: Introduction, Description, Argument, and Conclusion. The first two lines, verses 1 and 2, serve as the opening, introducing the events in the poem. The next two lines, verses 3 and 4, describe the events, requiring alignment in both sound and meaning. Following are the two argumentative lines, similar to the descriptive lines. Finally, the last two lines, the conclusion, summarize the events without necessarily aligning with each other. During the feudal period, this poetic form was used to select talents for the country. Originating from China, this form of poetry was also adopted and widely used in Vietnam, with many famous poems belonging to this genre. Especially when the New Poetry emerged, authors, through their creativity, loosened the strictness of the rhyme rules to allow the romantic soul to soar in each verse.

Seven-word quatrains are a quite excellent and distinctive poetic form, suitable for conveying emotions towards the homeland and the nation. It is the unique content that the poetic form conveys that has somewhat enhanced the value of this poetic form. The poems carry the intense emotions of the authors, somewhat breaking the tightness of the rules of an ancient poetic form, having a lasting vitality over time. In summary, the seven-word quatrains are truly a wonderful poetic form that helps poets weave beautiful verses, outstanding artistic works that will be perpetually transmitted to future generations.

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Explore the intricacies of various literary genres beyond the Seven-Word Eight-Line Tang Law poetry. Delve into the characteristics, structure, and unique features of exemplary literary genres such as hexameter verse, Phu genre, and epic poetry through the articles: Elaborating on the Phu Literary Genre, Exploring the Epic Poetry Genre, Insights into Hexameter Verse on Mytour.