Psychological mechanisms through which classical tang and song poetry moves contemporary readers: a qualitative study based on the aesthetics of reception

Background: As an important part of classical Chinese literature, Tang poetry and Song ci have long been regarded as having distinctive aesthetic appeal and affect-evoking power. However, existing studies have mostly discussed their artistic value from the perspectives of literary history, textual interpretation, or aesthetic features. Fewer studies have begun from readers' lived experience to examine why contemporary individuals are moved by Tang and Song poetry, or how this experience of being moved is associated with personal experience, relational memory, cultural identity, and life understanding. Therefore, based on the aesthetics of reception and reader-response theory, this study aimed to explore the experiential structure and interpretive psychological processes through which contemporary readers are moved by Tang and Song poetry. Methods: This descriptive qualitative study conducted semi-structured interviews with 31 adults. The interviews used no standardized list of poems; participants independently recalled and discussed a Tang poem or Song ci that had clearly moved them. Interview data were analyzed at the level of meaning units using inductive content analysis. Categories and subcategories were developed through open coding, cross-case comparison, category aggregation, and category refinement. Independent coding by two researchers, Cohen's kappa, member checking, peer review, negative case analysis, and reflexive memos were used to enhance analytic trustworthiness. Results: Data analysis identified six categories and 20 subcategories. The categories were sensory aesthetics, individual experience, relational emotions, cultural memory, existential reflection, and barriers and facilitating factors. The findings indicate that textual aesthetic cues provide an initial trigger; personal experience and relational memory establish self-relevance; cultural schemas support understanding; and existential reflection integrates meaning. Facilitating factors and barriers influence these processes through textual accessibility, attentional engagement, and experiential matching. Conclusion: The power of Tang and Song poetry to move readers is reflected not only in the aesthetic experience evoked by language, imagery, rhythm, and visual scenes, but also in poetry's activation of personal memory, emotional relationships, cultural identity, and life meaning. These findings help explain the contemporary reception of classical Chinese poetry from a psychological perspective. They also suggest that poetry education should prioritize readers' subjective experience by encouraging connections with personal experience, engagement with cultural contexts, and reflection on life.