On Poetic Features in the Discourse of Ancient Chinese Literary Theory

The ways of generation of meaning determine the way of discourse in ancient Chinese literary theory. Though poetic inexpressibility is the inexpressibility of meaning, the latter must be expressed by words, resulting in the unique principle of image and ostentation, indication and hiding, circumvention and direct entrance in the discourse of ancient Chinese literary theory. Since Western literary theoretical discourse has been dominant in the academic circles of Chinese literary theory in the past hundred years, the study of the poetic features of the discourse of ancient Chinese literary theory is significant for the establishment of a literary theoretical system with Chinese characteristics.