What are the stages of the development of Tang poetry?

People divide the evolution of Tang poetry into four stages: early stage, prosperous stage, middle stage and late stage.

Early Tang Dynasty refers to the period from the first year of Wude in Tang Gaozu to the first year of Yanhe in Zong Rui, which lasted about 94 years. This is the pioneering period of Tang poetry, that is, the period when Tang poets inherited Qi Xu from the beginning, changed their poetic style and embarked on a new road. During this period, Yang Jiong, Lu, Luo and others played an important role in the transformation of poetic style. Shen Quanqi, Song, Du and others completed the construction of the legal system and prepared for the arrival of the climax of poetry in the prosperous Tang Dynasty from different aspects.

The prosperous Tang Dynasty refers to the period from the first year of Kaiyuan reign of Xuanzong to Yongtai reign of Daizong, which lasted about 52 years. This is the peak of the prosperity of Tang poetry. A hundred flowers blossom in the world of poetry, and famous artists are like forests. Pastoral poets represented by Wang Wei and Meng Haoran, frontier poets represented by Gao Shi and Cen Can, and great poets such as Li Bai and Du Fu were all active in this period.

From the first year of Dali in Tang Daizong to the fourth year of Changqing in Mu Zong. In these 58 years, after the chaos of the first 30 years, the Tang Dynasty was in a depression period, and the poetry world was very depressed. As a result, there was an active scene in poetry creation, and a number of famous poets emerged: Bai Juyi, Yuan Zhen, Zhang Ji and Jincon, who carried forward Du Fu's realistic spirit; Han Yu, Meng Jiao, Jia Dao and Li He, who initiated new adventures; Liu Yuxi, who studied Bachu folk songs; and Liu Zongyuan, who expressed his feelings with mountains and rivers. Just like the stars in the night sky, they reflect each other with their own brilliance.

The late Tang Dynasty, from Jing Zong Baoliyuan to the end of the Tang Dynasty, lasted more than 80 years. With the decline and turmoil of the national situation, great changes have taken place in style and appearance. There are some new artistic developments in Du Mu's and Li Shangyin's poems, but they all have a strong sentimental sentiment, whether about the country and people or about love life. In the late Tang Dynasty, Pi Rixiu, Nie, Du Xunhe and others wrote some poems that exposed the social darkness before and after the Huang Chao Uprising, with intense feelings and sharp edges. From their poems, we saw the crumbling scene of the Tang Dynasty.