Life

Jiang was born in Poyang (in today's Jiangxi province). His family was of mediocre social status and Kui himself did not obtain any post in the government throughout his life. His father was a county magistrate during the reign of Emperor Gaozong of Song.

Jiang made multiple attempts on the imperial exam but was not able to pass them. He traveled extensively between the regions of Hubei, Zhejiang, Anhui, Jiangsu and Fujian. He had close contacts with his contemporary poets and literati. Jiang Kui moved to Huzhou from Poyang before finally settling down in Hangzhou where he died.

Poetry

Jiang's poetic style is notably influenced by Zhou Bangyan but his own style was distinct from other poets. In his early years as an abecedarian of poetry, his mentor was Xiao Ju (萧𣂏). According to his own biography, Jiang values the originality of his poems more than the following of established poetic theories from the past. In the eyes of 13th century artist and art theorist Chen Yu, the poetry of Jiang Kui is marked by his candidness(as a lack of overly ink-horn words) and originality. Chen noted that Jiang's poetry was not influenced by his contemporaries. As a result, Jiang was able to establish his own school at the time and influence other poets that admired his works.

Another 13th-century Ci poet Zhang Yan described Jiang's poetic style as "Clouds that leave or stay without a trace", underlining the unpredictability of Jiang's poems.

Musicology

Aside from being a poet, Jiang was also a musicologist of classical Chinese musics. He was best known for his lyric poems. Jiang tried to restore the lost tunes of ancient times but was scoffed by the officials of Taichang Si (Office of Great constancy, a government department of ancient China in charge of ritualistic affairs as well as classical musics).

词风

姜夔精于音律，自度曲颇多，词谱有定调，词前多有小序。题材上，多是纪游与咏物之作，其中偶然流露他对时事的感慨，更多是慨叹他身世的飘零和情场的失意。

姜词琢炼字句，喜用清淡生新的字句，追求清幽深邃、清空的意境，善于写景，咏物词则稍觉堆砌。

姜夔用江西诗派的创作方法来填词，讲究点窜前人诗句入词，间用拗句拗调，爱用典故，提倡「僻事实用，熟事虚用」，致使词的语意隐晦含糊，境界朦胧。姜词也讲求寄托和含蓄，喜用暗喻联想等手法。

作品

• 词集《白石道人歌曲》，少数流传乐谱的宋词，存词84首，今收录于四库全书。

• 主要词作：

　• 《暗香·旧时月色》

　• 《疏影》

　• 《扬州慢·淮左名都》

　• 《齐天乐·黄钟宫》

　• 《庆宫春·双桨莼波》

　• 《踏莎行·燕燕轻盈》

　• 《念奴娇·闹红一舸》

　• 《淡黄柳·空城晓角》

• 主要古琴曲

　• 《古怨》

评价

• 张炎《词源》：「姜白石如野云孤飞，去留无迹。」又：「不惟清空，又且骚雅，读之使人神观飞越。」

• 陈廷焯《白雨斋词话》：「词法之密，无过清真。词格之高，无过白石。词味之厚，无过碧山。」

• 朱彝尊《词综·发凡》：「词之南宋始极工，姜尧章最为杰出。」《黑蝶斋诗馀‧序》：「词莫善于姜夔。」

• 《四库全书》：「夔诗格高秀，为杨万里等所推，词亦精深华妙，尤善自度新腔，故音节文采，并冠一时。」