THE ARTISTIC CHARACTERISTICS OF ZHANG YAN’S EROTIC POETRY

Zhang Yan, a prominent lyric poet during the Song-Yuan transition, infused his amorous works with personal tribulations and a profound sense of "Shuli zhi bei" (the grief of national subjugation) due to his identity as a loyal adherent of the fallen dynasty. This unique perspective distinguished his 26 amorous ci poems from traditional counterparts. In terms of artistic features, his works exhibit three notable characteristics: thematically, they dilute carnal desire while intensifying emotional depth and thematic richness; stylistically, they replace sensual flamboyance with an elegant and restrained diction to elevate poetic refinement; technically, his nostalgic lament for the fallen regime and personal misfortunes manifests through melancholic imagery and subdued emotional tones. The attenuation of eroticism, cultivation of refined elegance, and employment of desolate imagery collectively construct an ethereal aesthetic realm that transcends conventional amorous poetry. Such artistic innovations establish Zhang Yan's distinctive departure from traditional amorous ci through his spiritually resonant rather than physically indulgent creations.