The origin of the development of Song Ci, why it flourished in Song Dynasty, various schools and their representatives, works and thoughts, and the contents in this respect.

Basically, it can be divided into two categories: graceful and unrestrained.

Representatives of graceful and restrained school: Li Yu, queen of Southern Tang Dynasty, and Li Qingzhao, poetess of Song Dynasty.

Representatives of the uninhibited school: Xin Qiji, Yue Fei, etc.

The development of Song Ci can be divided into three stages. In the first stage, Yan Shu, Yan and Ouyang Xiu inherited the works in Huajian Collection, which is a transitional stage from Tang Dynasty to Song Dynasty. In the second stage, the new development of Liu Yong and Su Shi in form and content, as well as the artistic creation of Qin Guan, Zhao Lingzhi and He Zhu, promoted the prosperity of various styles of Song Ci. In the third stage, Zhou Bangyan's artistic creation embodies the deepening and maturity of Song Ci. These three stages are not completely separated in time, but intertwined; As far as its development and evolution are concerned, inheritance and innovation are not separated from each other.

Yan Shu and Ouyang Xiusheng live in a peaceful world, and they love Feng Yansi Ci in Southern Tang Dynasty without Feng Yansi's experience and emotion. Their words, romantic, gentle, beautiful, rich and generous, are both contemptuous and have many similarities with the flower room in West Shu. Yan Shu's Zhu Yu Ci, Ouyang Xiu's Body Approaching Yuefu, and an interesting song Drunken Qin never broke through the traditional theme in ideological content, nor did they see any new creation in artistic form. In the first stage of the development of Ci in the Northern Song Dynasty, the creation of Yan Shu and Ouyang Xiu mainly lies in inheritance; He Yan's creation has shown the characteristics of Song people.

On the basis of inheritance, we have made innovations. Although Zhang Xian's ci never broke through the category of "flower room", he created some slow ci, which prepared for the change of ci style in artistic form. Although Yan's creation is still a lyric ditty in the form of "Flower Collection", it "contains the poet's syntax, is clear and powerful, and can shake people's hearts" (Preface to Mountain Collection by Huang Tingjian), which is the first innovation in the ideological content of Song Ci, and can't be regarded as "chasing flower collection" (Volume 21 of Xie Zhi Zhai Lu by Chen). The development of Song Ci has really completed the transition from Tang Dynasty to Song Dynasty.

However, in this transitional stage, the transformation of Song Ci has begun. Among them, the first reformer was Liu Yong. Liu Yong is four years older than Yan Shu and 12 years older than Ouyang Xiu, both of whom belong to lyric writers in the early Northern Song Dynasty. But Liu Yong's influence was not limited to the early Northern Song Dynasty, but spread to the whole Northern Song Dynasty. Liu Yong took a completely different road from Yan and Ou. Yan and Ou are both prominent figures in politics and literature, while Liu Yong is a pioneer scholar who is "frustrated and bored, wandering around". But because of this, Liu Yong has the opportunity to go deep into the lower classes of society. His works are widely exposed to social life. In addition to the love between men and women, they also reflect some aspects of urban life and, to a certain extent, the lives, thoughts and feelings of the lower classes in the city. Moreover, he is also good at absorbing the nutrients of folk lyrics, picking folk tunes into words, creating a large number of slow words, effectively expanding the system of words. Therefore, Liu Yong's creation gained a broad social foundation, which laid the foundation for the development of Song Ci. In the middle and late Northern Song Dynasty, Su Shi stepped onto the field of ci, which opened up a new situation for the development of ci in the Northern Song Dynasty. Su Shi regarded Ci as a "descendant of poetry" (A poem for Zhang Ziye), and further "reformed" it on the basis of Liu Yong's expansion of boundaries and system. Chapters in Dongpo Yuefu, such as Qinyuanchun, Dengguting, Jiangchengzi, Old People Chatting with Teenagers, Shuidiao Tou, When is the Moon, Niannujiao, and No Return to the River, have added luster to the ci circles in the Northern Song Dynasty. Ci to Su Shi, "I can't talk about anything without heart" (Liu Xizai's "Art Outline" Volume 4), became an independent lyric poem; In Europe and Yan State, the creation of ci is not only to respond to songs and express opinions for prostitutes, but also to express feelings and aspirations directly. The appearance of Su Shi promoted the development of Ci in the Northern Song Dynasty towards multipolarization. On the one hand, Liu Yong's influence is far-reaching, and the creation of slow ci in the Northern Song Dynasty has become more prosperous since Su Shi and Qin Guan. On the other hand, at the same time and later, Su Shi's followers learned his lyrics, although they gained something, but they did not stick to one model and developed in different directions. The "transformation" between Liu and the Soviet Union and the result of their mutual competition led to the prosperity of hundred schools of thought contending in the Northern Song Dynasty. Ci in the northern song dynasty, which is in the stage of development and change, cannot be summarized by the so-called "graceful" and "bold" two styles. At this stage, apart from the "transformation" of Liu Yong and Su Shi, the artistic creation of Qin Guan, Zhao Lingzhi and He Zhu also played a certain role in promoting the development of Ci in the Northern Song Dynasty. Qin Guan was born in Su Shi's family, and he "found his own way and became an outstanding master" (Volume 2 of Kuang Zhouyi HSBC Thorn). His ci "elegance and exquisiteness" (Wang Zhuo's Biji Manzhi, Volume II) is not similar to Su Shi's ci. Zhao Lingzhi, a disciple of Su Shi, imitated Su Shi's lyrics, but didn't get the essence. However, Qin Guan wrote 10 (a poem), which sang the stories of many beautiful women in history. Zhao Lingzhi wrote 12, which added the stories of Zhang Sheng and Cui Yingying into the lyrics, forming the embryonic form of Daqu, which originated from later operas and added many styles of Northern Song Ci. In addition, He Zhu's poem "The highest is the best in the world, and she is as beautiful as gold, while she is enchanting as enchanted, as quiet as Qu Song, as sad as Su Li" (Preface to He Fanggui's Yuefu) also adds a gesture to the developing Ci of the Northern Song Dynasty.

In the late Northern Song Dynasty, Zhou Bangyan learned from many experts and made a series of comprehensive work to promote the maturity of Ci. On the ideological content of lyrics creation, Zhou Bangyan's "Looking for Talents, Sending Long and Short Feelings" (preface to Liu Su's Pian Yu Collection) enhanced the "physique" of lyrics; In terms of artistic expression, Zhou Bangyan's "using Tang dialect to enter the law" (volume 21 of Solving Problems through Direct Zhai) pays attention to the arrangement and standardization of ci, which provides a model for the creation of ci.

After the transformation of ci style in the Southern Song Dynasty, the creation of ci appeared a new situation. On the one hand, the left side of the river is peaceful, and there is a "prosperous" situation in economy and culture. The wind of lyrics is still prevalent in society, which provides a favorable social environment for lyrics creation; On the other hand, the great changes in social history, from the Northern Song Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty, political turmoil will inevitably affect the ci and music circles, thus having a certain impact on the development and evolution of the ci style. Poets in the Southern Song Dynasty created with different attitudes and ways on their own creative paths, which played different roles in the continuous development and reform of Song Ci. Du Nan writers Li Qingzhao and Xiang Ziyin traveled from south to north, and their works were the transition from the Northern Song Dynasty to the Southern Song Dynasty.

Li Qingzhao personally experienced the social transformation between the north and the south, and her life experience, thoughts and feelings have undergone tremendous changes. The content, mood, even color and sound of the lyrics have changed accordingly, from bright and fresh to melancholy and deep sadness. However, the "true colors" of characters have not changed, and her creation has set an example for Du Nan writers to express new contents in old forms. Before the "Jingkang Revolution", Xiang Ziyin lived a leisurely and peaceful life, and most of his lyrics were entertainment products of "Flower Room" and "Respect for the Front", which were out-and-out wine-side words. After the "Jingkang Change", he was involved in the rapidly changing whirlpool of social life, and his lyrics, content and style were different from before. Xiangziyin put "Jiangnan New Words" in front, but what he did behind was called "Jiangbei Old Words", which had a purpose. Xiang Ziyin's creation also hints the way for the great changes in lyrics creation.

Poets after Du Nan, such as Lu You, Xin Qiji, Chen Liang, Liu Guo, Liu Kezhuang, Liu Chenweng, Jiang Kui, Shi Dazu, Wu Wenying and Zhang Yan. On the basis of Li Qingzhao and Xiang Ziyin, he inherited and carried forward the previous artistic creation experience, which promoted the continued development of Ci. Meanwhile, in the process of "work" and "change",

Xin Qiji was born in a declining world and "can't give full play to his talents". He posted his "loyalty and anger" and his "depression and boredom" where he had nowhere to vent. His ci not only expressed the great theme and feelings of resisting the restoration of gold, but also praised the natural scenery and the life of the peasant family, reflecting the social outlook at that time in many ways. In artistic creation, Xin Qiji has formed his own characteristics through various discussions and attempts. Xin Qiji's creation embodies the highest achievement of Ci in the Southern Song Dynasty. However, some of Xin Qiji's works are "loudly and quietly" (Liu Kezhuang's preface to Xin Jiaxuan), which is very wild; Some works that have devoted too much effort are inevitably nervous, which also plays a certain role in the transformation of ci style.

Writers of Xin Qiji's contemporaries, such as Lu You, Chen Liang and Liu Guo, or Jia Xuan's "Similarity in Talent and Ci" (Liu Xizai's "A Brief Introduction to Art, Ci and Qu"); Or follow Jia Xuan's example, "words are more powerful" ("Selected Poems of Huang Sheng Hua 'an, Wonderful Selection since Zhongxing", Volume 5); Or sentimental, there is Tai Jiaxuan (Liu Kezhuang's Complete Works of Houcun University 180 "Poetry Talk" continued). It can be said that it is Xin Qiji's "homology" or "vassal". Ci writers, Liu Kezhuang and Liu Chenweng were admirers of Xin Qiji at the end of the Southern Song Dynasty and between the Song and Yuan Dynasties, which was called the stamina of the Southern Song Ci. The creations of Chen Liang, Liu Guo, Liu Kezhuang, Liu Chenweng, etc. are the supplements to Xin Ci, and at the same time, they also develop the shortcomings of Xin Ci.

The achievements of writers after Du Nan, such as Lu You and Xin Qiji, mainly lie in reflecting the life of the times and embodying the spirit of the times in the form of lyric poems; Jiang Kui and others' explorations and attempts in the artistic expression of Ci are their achievements.

When Jiang Kui entered the ci world, he was faced with the problem of the transformation of ci style. According to his own theory of "harmony" and "difference" ("Self-narration of Taoist Baishi Poetry II"), Jiang Kui wrote his own poems with the poetic method of Jiangxi Poetry School, and created his own one except halal and Jiaxuan. At the same time, because he is good at temperament and proficient in music theory, the combination of words and music has reached the ultimate goal, the so-called "syllable literary talent, harmony and Excellence" (Catalogue of Siku Quanshu). His artistic pursuit has also made great achievements.

Shi Dazu's ci is beautiful and elegant, and his style is quite close to that of Jiang Kui. Critics either call Jiang history or take history as Jiang's wing. As far as artistic creation is concerned, historical poems are "light and round" and "full of emotion", and "have the advantages of uniqueness, alertness, freshness and leisure, without losing foul language" (Preface to Meixi by Zhang Zi). However, due to the lack of profound ideological content, and "using a pen skillfully is generous" (Zhou Ji's Xie Cun Zhai Za Shi), his achievements are still not as good as Jiang Kui's.

Wu Wenying was another great poet after Jiang Kui in the Southern Song Dynasty. Wu Wenying once put forward four criteria for evaluating words: "the melody should be harmonious, and if it is not harmonious, it will be long and short;" The next word is elegant, but the indecent word is almost entangled; Words should not be too explicit, straight and without deep flavor; Don't be too ambitious. If you are tall, you will be crazy and lose your softness. " The so-called association and non-association, elegance and vulgarity, straightforwardness and profundity, madness and softness, as well as relative arguments show that Wu Wenying's proposition is put forward in view of the present situation of Ci. Wu Wenying's words "Shen Jia is careful, and his pulse is well drilled, which can help him dive and open his own way" (postscript to Zhu Zumou's Poems of Dreaming Window). It should be related to this proposition. Wu Wenying, on the other hand, overemphasized elegance in content and pursued "combination" and "concealment" in form, and his words were "vague and unknown" (Shen Yifu refers to Yuefu as a fan). This led to the decline of Ci in the Southern Song Dynasty.

During the Song and Yuan Dynasties, Zhang Yan, known as "Laughter", was a poet and a good musician. Zhang Yan is not only "fragrant white stone for a long time, but also a teacher and friend" (Outline of Art, Ci and Qu), but also "can win by turning over the pen and writing horizontally" (Linz Chronicle, Volume 16) and "learn its melody, especially get a spiritual solution" (General Catalogue of Si Quan Shu). His Ci "Qing Yuan Han Qing" (Jian Yi Ci Qu Jian) is unique. However, in the case of "the way of sound has been abandoned for a long time", Zhang Qian's "single vibration leads to chaos" (Yin Zhongxu in White Clouds in the Mountains) failed to save the bad luck of Song Ci. At this point, the era of Song Ci is over.

Poets in the Southern Song Dynasty, whether Lu You, Xin Qiji, Jiang Kui and Zhang Yan, all explored and explored the artistic world of Ci in various ways, but failed to satisfactorily solve the new problems in the study of Ci. In the Southern Song Dynasty, on the one hand, Ci "gradually condensed between words to seek merit" (Feng Xu's "Haoan Thorn") developed in the direction of elegance and literati; On the other hand, it continues to combine music with songs, and it is integrated with folk lyric "minor" (mainly "singing", "singing" and various palace tunes) and turned into music.