Literati Zhang Wentao in the Qing Dynasty:His Poetic Theory and Literary Practice

Zhang Wentao has no particular work for poetic theory,yet his understanding and interpretation of poetry are manifested in his considerable poetic works.Zhang's theory has similar aspects with the xingling notion of Yuan Mei,the representative of the Xingling School(a literary school advocating people's spirit,personality and emotion),but they are different in aspects concerning the subject of literary creation,the poetic existence,and the object of aesthetics.Zhang's theory and practice should have been considered as significant in the poetic criticism in the Qing Dynasty.Meanwhile,his poetic writing is also quite famous among his contemporaries.