论明李东阳的“格调”论和七子之“才”

On the "stylistic mode" idea suggested by Li Dongyang of the Ming dynasty and the "talent" of the seven talents

李东阳认为诗必有“格调” ,看诗要由“格调”下手。但他并不主张摹拟 ,而是力求诗句的自然匀稳。前后七子则主张文必秦汉 ,诗必盛唐 ,力攻东阳 ,嫌他软滑。李东阳之说 ,专讲“格调” ,不注意情理 ;七子之徒 ,自视甚高 ,雄傲一时 。

Li Dongyang insists that poetry should have stylistic mode, which is a starting point to criticize poetry. However, he does not support parody but advocates the natural balance of all the lines instead. The 'seven talents', on the other hand, refute Li Dongyang's 'weak' and 'evasive' opinions by arguing that all proses should follow the style established in the Qin and Han dynasties while all poems that dominant in the Tang dynasty at it prime. Li Dongyang's theory stresses the stylistic modes instead of emotion and logic while that of the seven talents reveals self-conceitedness and arrogance, which explains why the poetry of the Ming dynasty underwent a dramatic decline compared to that of the Song dynasty.