The Form and Soul of Literature

Nantai

The Form and Soul of Literature

As the saying goes, "Literature is the vehicle of truth." In a literary work, "style" (the literary form and expression) is its form, while "truth" (the core thought and value) is its soul.

In other words, "style" is like a jewelry casket or a palace; "truth" is the pearl inside the casket and the king in the palace.

The style should be elegant, and the truth should be noble. But one must be clear: the casket needs to be beautiful, yet the pearl inside is the essence. If a magnificent palace houses someone as incompetent as Adou (a historical allusion to Liu Shan, the incompetent last emperor of the Shu Han Dynasty in the Three Kingdoms period), apart from Zhuge Liang—who was morally bound and could not escape—few wise and resourceful people would favor that regime.

Therefore, simply calling literature "beautiful writing" is dangerous. It may mislead people into focusing only on gorgeous appearances while forgetting the nobility of the soul.