英文摘要
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In Rulin waishi (Unofficial History of the Scholars), when the characters write or talk about poems, the narrator omits the poems from the novel. The "invisibility" of the poems hinders readers from interpreting the characters or their intention to write poetry through their poems. However, the interaction among scholars in the story is permeated with influences from poetry. This study considers the invisibility of poems an intentional design by the narrator and discusses the purpose and effect of this design. First, the attitude of the scholars depicted in Rulin waishi toward poetry is analyzed regarding the functions and values of poetry from the money, social, and spiritual aspects. Subsequently, this study explores the narrator's criticism of the corrupt connections between poetry and personal gain according to how the poems were produced and the forms of these poems. In addition, in the absence of the authoritative narrator, the characters' endeavors to document their lives as poems revealed the ability of poetry to temporarily distract scholars from worrying about misfortune. However, the narrator revealed the ineffectiveness and fall of poetry and history via the hidden poems and the confusing historical records in Rulin waishi. Therefore, the narrator bewails the misfortune of scholars as well as concerns about society in the form of vernacular novel.
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