Blending style and theme: grammar and rhetoric in Han Yu's “Miscellaneous Discourses”

Abstract

This paper analyses the intricate and extraordinary style of the influential prose writer Han Yu (768–824). It uncovers his innovative use of grammar and rhetoric and explores how this works to emphasize his theme through an in-depth analysis of his “Miscellaneous Discourses” series. The series, named for what was a budding literary genre in Tang times, later became a popular anthology selection. It showcases the linguistic intricacy of Han's renowned “long sentences” and “reverse writing”, while also demonstrating the use of various rhetorical devices, all employed to create visual effects befitting the themes. The seamless match of style and theme strengthens the persuasive power of each essay and realizes the great potential of ancient-style prose. The findings speak broadly to linguistic and rhetorical development in ways that are relevant to literary studies in general.