Zhu Yi-zun' s Achievements in Ci-poetry Studies:As Seen from His Commentary Works

It was not until the turn of Ming and Qing Dynasties that the punctuation and annotation of Cipoems appeared. This signaled the renaissance of Ci-poetry at the time. As one of the most important Ci composers and theorists, Zhu Yi-zun's artistic creation in Ci-poetry represented a new approach to the composition of Qing Ci-poetry. His theory was recognized by his contemporary Ci-poetry composers as being directional since it targeted at the declining tendency in the society and advocated for the social norm of the Southern Song Dynasty. Zhu Yi-zun emerged as a Ci-poetry writer when he was in Yangzhou, punctuating and annotating Ci-poems. His work on 15 Ci-writers of three generations expressed his reflection on the historical and the present state, and the future development of Ci-poetry. After left Yangzhou, he began to make popular the social norm for being pure,elegant,tranquil, and empty,which is well reflected in his theoretical writings. His comment is never generalized but on some particular works,and consequently he was able to make clear his own theory while doing criticisms and to point out the direction for development.