清代科举试诗的历史原因与制度意义

The Historical Reasons and Institutional Significances of the Poetry Component of the Imperial Examination in the Qing Dynasty

乾隆二十二年,科举常科增试试律。这一改革的重要原因是为了打破科举以往的命题思路与应试模式,革除举子怀挟、宿构之风。在科举试诗政令下达的过程中,乾隆帝利用权威与策略绕过了朝臣的反对,成功推行了这一数十年间未能实施的改革,并掌握了会试、顺天乡试试律诗的命题权力,强化了对人才选举环节的把控。科举增试试律前后,覆试走向制度化,磨勘也逐步加严。由于近体诗具有明确的声律规则,诗作是否合律成为覆试和磨勘的关键考察标准。科举试诗与覆试、磨勘制度共同发展,使科举纪律更为严格,评价标准更加客观。清代科举试诗不仅是文学史上的关键事件,更是科举史上的重要变革,具有多重历史原因与深远的制度意义。

In the 22nd year of Qianlong(1757),poetry component(shilüshi)was added to the permanent system of imperial examinations.A significant reason for this reform was to break from the previous mode of examination questions and test-taking techniques and to reduce the phenomena of bringing notes and imitating writing.By utilizing his authority and strategies,Emperor Qianlong avoided the objection of ministers.The emperor managed to issue orders and launch this reforms that had not been implemented for decades and finally increased his power of recruiting civil officials.Over the same period,the re-examination system was well established,and the re-checking policy became strict.Because the poetry component had specific standards of versification,the examiners started re-examining and re-checking whether the poetry component conformed with versification regulations to discover cheaters.The coordinated development of re-examination system,re-checking system and the poetry component of the imperial examination made the discipline of examination stricter and the evaluation standard more objective.The poetry component of the imperial examination was not only an important event in the history of literature,but also a momentous reform in the history of imperial examination,which had multiple historical reasons and far-reaching institutional significance.