Studies of the rhyming forms of Chinese classical poetics present a triple structure, that is, the formal level, functional level and innovative level. At the formal level, Chinese classical poetics projects the “beauty” in form; at the functional level, the “capacity” of forms of rhyming, namely, the function of representing emotion of forms of rhyming themselves; at the innovative level, the “artistry” of forms of rhyming, in other words, the breaking of restriction of forms and function of rhyming. Eventually, the triple structure shows that the leading ideal of aesthetic culture set by Chinese classical poetics is to vigorously create the “beauty”, exploit the “capacity”, and present the “artistry” of forms of Chinese rhyming. This aesthetic ideal has been completely and historically manifested in the practice of writing of large quantities of enchanting and artisticallyrhymed Chinese classical poems.

classical poetics; voice and expression; artistic rhyming; formal level; functional level; innovative level