Capital vs Frontier : Yellow River Emotions in Tang Poetry

This thesis examines the regional variations of the Yellow River imagery in the anthology Complete Tang Poetry to explore the correlation between Tang dynasty political power zones and literary creations centered on the Yellow River. As a core cultural symbol of China, the Yellow River reflects the evolutionary trajectory of Chinese civilization while bearing witness to historical shifts in territorial boundaries, dynastic transitions, and the cycles of national unification and division. Integrating traditional literary analysis with digital humanities methodologies, this thesis quantifies the frequency, emotional orientation, and contextual features of Yellow River themes in poetry from both the capital and frontier regions within the Complete Tang Poetry. This quantitative text analysis, supplemented by close readings of selected poems, reveals the emotional variations embodied by the Yellow River image across different regions. This thesis not only demonstrates the value of digital tools in revealing the complex interplay between literary imagery and historical context but also aligns macro-historical narratives with micro-poetic language within a unified framework. It illustrates how poetic imagery, through its coupling with spatial elements, shapes narrative frameworks that connect geographical security, political identity, and emotional expression.