Early in Chinese culture, the handwriting has been coexisted the functional aspect as saying of delivering a record by simply transcribing a character, and the artistic aspect on how beautifully a character will be expressed. As the narrative culture is created by being invented writing brush in ancient times, these things of either historical documentaries or literary works have been recorded by description in a writing brush. A professional calligrapher appeared while calligraphy in the Han Dynasty(漢代) was recognized as art. Thus, an effort for expressing a record in this character more artistically was begun.
In the meantime, calligraphy is art that has character as medium. Thus, even the contents of sentence, which becomes the subject of description, have great influence upon calligraphy of Seosaja(書寫者:calligrapher for the painting). A case of poem even among those literary works is nearly consistent with calligraphy in writing its sentiment through sympathy between any object and writer, thereby having many points of being conformed even out of other genres.
In the Tang Dynasty, a poem was the most important literary expression. Thus, what composes a poem and writes such inspiration as calligraphic work was the general culture in the Tang Dynasty, which had been come down from many generations. There is great suggestion in a sense that the so-called calligraphy in the contemporary writers at that time is a method of directly transcribing sentence that they composed. At that time of having composed poem, almost all the parts need to be recorded with relying upon handwriting. At that time of needing to appreciate poem with first seeing the handwriting, a character first jumps to the eyes rather than the contents of poem. Thus, sentiment, which is delivered from handwriting, is very important. And when such sentiment is well harmonized with the contents of poem, the inspiration is doubled along with the contents of poem as for a person who appreciates a poem. Due to these factors, the famous poets at that time are joining the line of creating Nonseosi(論書詩:Discussible Poetry). Lee Baek(李白) and Du Bo(杜甫) who had been great poets were not exceptional, too.
Trying to divide 17 Su(首:piece)s of poetry, which had been left by Lee Baek and Du Bo, into form and content, one model was formally made on Nonseosi in future generations. Their Nonseosi could be divided comprehensively into first, a poem of having criticized handwriting, second, a poem of having depicted formative beauty in handwriting, third, a poem of having depicted achievement of Seoga(書家), and fourth, a poem of having become the beginning of Nonseo-Jeolgu(論書絶句). A poem of having criticized handwriting was represented by Lee Baek's 「Wangugun(王右軍)」. A poem of having depicted the formal beauty in handwriting was made an example by Lee Baek's「Choseogahaeng(草書歌行)」and Du Bo's「Ijopalbunsojeonga(李潮八分小篆歌)」. Also, what a poem with 8 Su(首:piece)s of corresponding to a half conforms to this is the phenomenon of well reflecting the contemporary calligraphic style, and is also what was shown their tendency of trying to pursue the essence of Seo(書:writing) through beauty of handwriting. A poem of having sung the achievement of Seoga(書家) was represented by a work of Lee Baek's 「Songhabingaekgwiwol(送賀賓客歸越)」. A poem of having become the beginning of Nonseo-Jeolgu(論書絶句) was Du Bo's「Huiwiyukjeol(戲爲六絶)」.
Their aesthetic thoughts, which were shown in Nonseosi(論書詩) as the contextual classification, include Sugyeongmi(瘦硬美), Tongshinmi(通神美), and Sanggomi(尙古美). Sugyeongmi(瘦硬美) is what Du Bo embodied a concept of ‘Golryeok(骨力)’ or ‘Golgi(骨氣),' which had been come down from the ancient times as his own. What handwriting in Tongshinmi needs to be made 'Shin(神:divine)' was the common aesthetic thought that had been possessed by Lee Baek and Du Bo. Sanggomi(尙古美) is also Sango that is based on the inconsistency with ego ideal in political dissatisfaction of reality. Lee Baek pursued Wang Hui-ji. Du Bo respected Jeonye(篆隸). In light of the above, Lee Baek's Nonseosi(論書詩) became the standard mainly in the formal aspect. Du Bo's Nonseosi(論書詩) can be known to have become the standard in the contextual aspect. Haksija(學詩者)s had their poetry as an example. Thus, their Nonseosi(論書詩) had become an example for generations since then. It became an opportunity that Nonseosi(論書詩) revives greatly once again with reaching the Sosik(蘇軾) in the Song Dynasty.