Sound Bears Literary Essence, Harmony Embodied in Music: Probing into the Musical Aesthetics in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons

Centering on chapters such as “Yuandao” (The Origin of the Way), “Yuefu” (Music Bureau), and “Shenglü” (Euphony) from The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, this study explores Liu Xie’s musical aesthetic thought. Grounded in Confucianism, Liu Xie posits an intrinsic bond between music and literature, asserting that literary beauty inherently encompasses musicality. “Yuandao” reveals his perception of music’s “naturalness” and “harmony”; “Yuefu” reflects the aesthetic of “orthodox music as standard” and music’s dual role in serving literary expression and moral education; “Shenglü” elucidates the practical application of musical prosody in literary creation. These three chapters form a progressive logical framework—“Natural Origin → Ritual Function → Spiritual Expression”—constructing a Confucian musical aesthetic system.