| dc.description.abstract | Abstract
This study focuses on Ji Xian, a talented woman writer from the late Ming and early Qing periods. By tracing her family background and social connections, it explores the literary environment that nurtured the cultured poetess Ji Xian, the marriage alliance between the two major literary families of Huainan（淮南）area, and the extended kinship network that emerged from this union. Furthermore, it attempts to analyze Ji Xian′s ideological beliefs and literary creations to gain an in-depth and concrete understanding of the mindset and circumstances of educated women during the Ming-Qing transition.
During the dynastic change from Ming to Qing, many members of the Xinghua（興化）county Li clan chose to live in seclusion in the countryside, refusing to serve the new dynasty, resulting in a large group of ＂the Ming loyalists.＂ Ji Xian, who was part of this group, maintained close ties with her natal Taixing（泰興）county Ji family. She was content with the reclusive life in the rural villages and frequently exchanged poems with her Li clan relatives. However, after witnessing her two Ji brothers successively entering official service, treading a precarious path, she still supported her son’s pursuit of officialdom. This not only reflected her desire to continue the Li family′s tradition of scholars and officials but also demonstrated the educated women′s identification with and realization of the scholar-official class′s aspiration to govern and assist the people. It was also a projection of educated women′s pursuit of self-actualization.
Ji Xian inherited the rich literary resources of the Li family and pursued the classical poetic ideals of the ＂Han, Wei, and Prosperous Tang＂ eras in her poetry composition. Her writings were deeply influenced by the fusion of Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and she particularly favored the teachings of Zhuangzi. In compiling the poetry collection of female writers, she focused on the pure aesthetic beauty of poetry itself, transcending the boundaries of literary schools, regions, and social classes. Although she may not have been an exceptional talent among many talented female writers during the Ming-Qing transition, Ji Xian possessed a unique charm as a poetess. | en_US |