Collected Writings of the Heaven-Arranged Volume, Volume Eleven

...critics must say: When speaking of Nanshan, his general style possesses clarity and grandeur; it is both profound and beautiful, his temperament is harmonious and elegant, and his philosophical reasoning is fully contained. When speaking of Tingfu, his general style exhibits vast talent and a vigorous, sturdy spirit; its flavor is deep and thick, and its structural arrangement is divinely inspired. To sum them up, Tingfu has not yet shed a certain coarse boldness original: 麤豪 (cū háo); a style that is powerful but lacks fine polish., while Nanshan occasionally slides into the commonplace original: 平俗 (píng sú); refers to writing that is accessible but lacks extraordinary distinction..

In the past, the masters Yu Yang Wang Shizhen, a famous Qing Dynasty poet. and Dong Pu both praised the bold uprightness of their nephew’s poetry, saying it drew from the deep wellsprings of ancient learning and was free from the pedantic "Jiangsu and Zhejiang habits" A critique of the overly academic or ornate styles popular in the cultural centers of the Yangtze Delta.. Now, if we take these "Two Zhangs" to determine their schools of style, it seems that the home of "bold uprightness" lies not in Guangdong, but in Fujian.

"In one's character, one prizes directness; however, in writing poetry and prose, one does not prize directness, but rather subtlety." original: 曲 (qū); literally "crooked" or "winding," referring to indirect expression, nuance, and complexity. These are the words of Mr. Yuan Suiyuan Yuan Mei, the influential poet and gourmet of the 18th century..

Those who discuss art should treat this as an infallible law. I, however, say that while a scholar should not lightly compare themselves to others, in the writing of poetry criticism Shihua (詩話); literally "poetry talk," a genre of literature consisting of informal comments, anecdotes, and critiques regarding poems and poets., one simply cannot avoid comparing people. For a contemporary critic to use poetry criticism to compare authors is like taking the army of Zhuge Zhongwu Zhuge Liang, the legendary strategist of the Three Kingdoms. and the army of Yue Wumu Yue Fei, the patriotic general of the Southern Song. and having them command their forces against one another—it is a most fitting match. Even if one does not draw from the ancients but looks to the moderns, when two such masters meet and engage in diplomatic maneuvering original: 樽俎折衝 (zūn zǔ zhé chōng); literally "breaking the enemy's drive amidst wine jars and meat platters," meaning to win a victory through negotiation or intellectual wit., or when two such talents clash until the very banners change color, any who watch from the sidelines can gain limitless wisdom and courage.

In Nanshan’s collection, his four poems on the "Color of Willows" were widely recited for a time. This was due to their lingering emotional resonance and an inexhaustible flavor. His talent...