Heart Style and Poetic Style: Reflections on the Heart 
Image of Yuan Xie's Ancient Poetry

Yongqi Chang

doi:10.70711/rcha.v3i9.8145

Heart Style and Poetic Style: Reflections on the Heart Image of Yuan Xie's Ancient Poetry

Yongqi Chang

Abstract

The extant poems of Yuan Xie, a Southern Confucian scholar of the Heart-Mind School, are compiled in the *Jiezhai Collection*, totaling 177 pieces, among which 57 are in the ancient-style form. Unconstrained by strict tonal or rhythmic patterns, ancientstyle poetry offers greater flexibility for expressing emotions and aspirations freely, aligning closely with the core tenets of the School
"manifesting the original heart-mind" and "non-reliance on external things." As such, it serves as a more suitable literary form for "the
practice of Heart-Mind learning" than regulated verse. However, Yuan's poetry is not merely a form of literary expression; it represents the
artistic embodiment and extension of his philosophical thought. This study adopts a "poetry-as-evidence-for-thought" approach, focusing
on three key images that reveal the manifestations of the heart-mindthe clear mirror, the ancient pine, and the pure spring. Through the
lens of ancient-style poetry, it explores the essence of Yuan's Heart-Mind learning, tracing its internal logic via the unique framework of
poetic expression.

Keywords

Yuan Xie; Classical poetry; Southern Song philosophy

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References

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DOI: http://dx.doi.org/10.70711/rcha.v3i9.8145

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