Abstract:

Rhythm and rhyming is of critical importance in content besides its formal significance. The historical facts of Yongming Poetry indicated that Yongming Rhythm and Rhyming effectively influenced the structural relations at all levels of poetry, projecting the structural antithesis and leaps. The new poetic structure coordinated with the significant reform of the poetic content during the Yongming Period which developed from prosaic lyric styles centered on narration and argumentation to more poetic lyric styles centered on inner feelings. The reform of content is of epochmaking significance for it marked the further maturity of genre of poetry on its own and further distinguished itself from the genre of prose. It is safe to say that Yongming Rhythm and Rhyming was an important support to the content reform of Yongming poetry. Accordingly, the rhyming of the later modernstyle poetry was an important support to the expression of modernstyle poetic content. The function of rhythm and rhyming like this was not only evident in poetry, but also pervasive to different degrees in Cifu (a literary form, often rhymed) and Pianwen (a rhythmical prose).

Key words: Yongming Rhythm and Rhyming, structure, poetic content