The Formation and Significance of the "Ritualized" Structure in Han Yu's Poetry: Centered on Three Poems

Abstract

This study investigates the formation and literary significance of the ritualized spatial structure found in select poems by Han Yu, a leading figure of Mid-Tang literature renowned for his grotesque and bizarre poetic style. While conventional Chinese poetry typically adheres to the linear Qi Cheng Zhuan He pattern of beginning, development, turn, and conclusion, certain works by Han Yu depart from this norm by adopting a ritualized spatial configuration. Through close textual analysis of three representative poems—Visiting the Temple of Mount Heng, A Poem on the Mountain Blaze at Luhun, and The Southern Mountain—this research demonstrates that their structural organization bears formal resemblances to mandala spatiality and ritual procedure. However, rather than serving purely religious functions, these ritualized structures are repurposed toward political allegory and spiritual transcendence. The analysis reveals three defining characteristics that distinguish the ritualized model from nature-based linear structures: spatial priority over temporal progression, the presence of an active participatory subject, and a culminating destination oriented toward spiritual transformation. By situating these formal features within the broader context of Esoteric Buddhist influence and the Mid-Tang literary movement of writing poetry as prose, this study provides a structural explanation for the distinctive qualities of Han Yu's grotesque and bizarre style. Ultimately, the findings illuminate the formal innovations of Mid-Tang poetry and contribute to a deeper understanding of how ritual spatiality was adapted into literary composition during this pivotal period in Chinese literary history.