杨载

Yang Zai was a poet and poetry theorist of the Yuan dynasty; public sources on his life and native place are limited, and his birth and death years are unknown. Three works are extant under his name, including Hu Nan Ji, Shi Fa Jia Shu, and a Shi Fa Jia Shu attributed to "Yang Zai of the Yuan." His works are commonly classified under documentary literature, classical poetry, and Eastern philosophy. Shi Fa Jia Shu is a treatise on the craft of poetry, discussing diction, syntax, structure, and stylistic standards, which shows his concern with classical poetics; Hu Nan Ji reflects his literary composition and textual organization. Overall, Yang Zai's writings combine creative practice with theoretical criticism and are of reference value for understanding Yuan-era poetics and the norms of poetry writing. Owing to scarce historical records, details of his life and his place in literary history await further study.