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central Chinese physical and human environment. 53 Liao cites this idea of a “realistic” type of strange
(qi 奇 ) as deriving from Hong Liangji's 洪 亮 吉 (1746-1809) comments on Cen Shen's poetry in his
Beijiang shihua 北 江 诗 话 where “strange” (qi 奇 ) can only fulfil its preternatural requirements
through an ironic infusion with “natural law” from which the believably bizarre is forged: 54
“The strangeness of a poem is only strange when it is in accordance with natural law (li 理 ); if
its strangeness is not in accordance with natural law, it is not strange. One could say that the poetry of
Lu Yuchuan [Lu Tong 卢 同 ] and Li Chang'gu [Li He 李 贺 (790-816)] is strange, but it is a strangeness
not in accord with natural law. As for strangeness in poetry that is in accord with natural law, there is
only Cen Jiazhou [Cen Shen]”.
诗 奇 而 入 理 , 乃 谓 之 奇 , 若 奇 而 不 入 理 , 非 奇 也 . 卢 玉 川 , 李 昌 谷 之 诗 , 可 云 奇 而 不 入 理 者 矣 .
诗 之 奇 而 入 理 者 , 其 惟 岑 嘉 州 乎
55
119
The preceding overview of the “qi” 奇 paradigm, while not the only approach to analyzing the
texts 56 , has nonetheless shown to be an appealing model among critics when reading Cen Shen's
frontier poetry. Given the sheer volume of secondary source material promulgating the “qi” 奇 of the
poems' imagistic content manner by which it is perceived, the framework's attraction would also
appear to be immune to fatigue, and investigations into the “singular beauty” 57 (qili 奇 丽 ) and “peculiar
scenes ” 58 (qite de jingxiang 奇 特 的 景 象 ) of Cen Shen's versified northwestern lands is far from
becoming exhausted.
Yet despite introducing the finer aesthetic pleasures of Cen Shen's poetry, these “qi” 奇 guided
53 Liao Li, “Cen Shen biansaishi de fengge tese”, p. 268.
54 Or as Marie Chan observed, “the strange within the ordinary”. See Marie Chan, Cen Shen, p. 84.
55 Cited from Liao Li, “Cen Shen biansaishide fenggetese”, p. 269.
56 Other thematic rubrics employed in discussions of Cen Shen's frontier poetry include restricted readings of the texts'
attitudes towards the attainment of official success and fame as well as commentaries on the poet-narrator's often fervent
patriotism and tacit support for military ventures. Since this second part of the thesis will be addressing issues related to
the representation of the frontier landscape, these other aspects of Cen Shen's frontier poetry, and the history of criticism
behind these approaches, will not be discussed as they have only tenuous links with the following analysis of Cen Shen's
geographic scenes.
57 Liao Li, “Cen Shen biansaishide fenggetese”, p. 266.
58 Zhou Zhenfu 周 振 甫 “Tan Cen Shen de biansaishi 谈 岑 参 的 边 塞 诗 ”in Tangdai biansashi yanjiu lunwen xuancui,
pp. 200-206. See especially p. 203.