Fang Dongshu Carried on and Broke through Tong Chen's Old Theories and Research Methods on Commenting Sushi's Poems

As a successor of Tong Chen Group, Fang Dongshu's commentaries on Sushi's poems were much influenced by his ancient Chinese prose theory. Firstly, he discussed Sushi's seven-syllable prose according to the rules of composition and rhetoric. He laid stress on structure and arrangement, paid attention to words and expressions、details and omissions and other writing skills. Secondly, Fang Dongshu also used some concepts and terminologies which were discovered in Tong Chen Group ancessors' compositions to comment on Sushi's poems. Thirdly, Fang Dongshu reconsidered the good and bad of Su's controversial poems according to the rules of composition and rhetoric. He broke through Tong Chen's old theories and research methods: Tong Chen Groups boosted Jiangxi Poem Group and Huang Tingjian,but Fang Dongshu believed Sushi's poems were superior to Huang Tingjian's. Fang Dongshu thought that Sushi's poems have a unique style in contrast to Song Dynasty poems. Fang Dongshu also trusted reason and good sense , so his commentaries were hard to avoid the flavour of Neo-Confucianism.