Chinese scholars in the Qing Dynasty showed special concern with the origin and growth of courtstyle cipoetry, but their efforts came to no end either by exploring the Book of Songs or by scrutinizing Wang Jian’s works. In fact, courtstyle cipoetry resulted from the “New Yuefu Movement” in the midst of the Tang Dynasty, but it actually originated from the old Yuefu poetry in the Han and the Wei Dynasty. Emotionally, courtstyle cipoetry was most characteristic of “complaint”, an extension of the tradition of “appealing for public complaint by impressive description” and “expressing complaint but no anger in a tender and honest manner”.

courtstyle cipoetry; the New Yuefu Movement; writing style