Wang Li's Studies on the Rules of Regulated Verse in Modern Chinese Poetry

Author: Wang Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-01-01
Features: Wang Li devoted six decades of his life to the research and teaching of linguistic science. The breadth of his research, the magnitude of his achievements, and the profound influence he had both in China and abroad set him apart as one of the most outstanding linguists in China. He is widely recognized as the most authoritative expert in Chinese linguistics. His works include The Phonology of Chinese Language, The History of Chinese Phonology, The History of Chinese Linguistics, The Poetic Rhythm of Chinese Language, and The Dictionary of Etymological Origins. These works were ultimately compiled into the 20-volume Collected Works of Wang Li. The publication of The Separate Collection of Wang Li now provides readers with a new choice for reading and studying the works of Mr. Wang Li. The Study of Classical Poetic Rhythm, The Study of Modern Poetic Rhythm, and The Study of Qu Rhythm are all derived from Wang Li's classic work The Poetic Rhythm of Chinese Language. The purpose of publishing them separately is to allow readers to choose according to their interests and needs. These three books conduct in-depth and detailed studies on the poetic rhythm of classical poetry, modern poetry, vernacular poetry, and Western-influenced poetry, as well as the poetic rhythm of qu. They blend the research findings of predecessors with the author's own insights, offering comprehensive and thorough content that fully reflects Wang Li's profound expertise in linguistics. The Rhyme Reading of the Book of Songs and The Rhyme Reading of Chu Ci are among the important works of Wang Li's phonological research, consisting of two parts: The Rhyme Reading of the Book of Songs and The Rhyme Reading of Chu Ci. The Rhyme Reading of the Book of Songs takes all the chapters of the Book of Songs as its research subject, elaborating on the author's views on ancient phonology. It systematically and thoroughly analyzes the rhyme rules of the Book of Songs, marking the specific rhyme parts after each phrase, serving as an important example of Wang Li's phonological research. The Rhyme Reading of Chu Ci is a masterpiece of Wang Li, with the opening section detailing the specific rhyme parts of Chu Ci. It also provides detailed phonetic annotations for the rhyme feet of each line in Chu Ci. This book is not only another significant part of Wang Li's phonological achievements but also an excellent work for studying the ancient dialects of Chu. Wang Li was one of the great masters of linguistics in China, particularly renowned for his research on ancient Chinese. His work The Poetic Rhythm of Chinese Language, written in the 1940s, is a foundational study on the poetic methods of China. In the preface, he wrote: "I originally wrote this book for teaching purposes, so I began by introducing basic knowledge. Although the senior students in university are already at a high level, since none of their previous courses covered poetic rhythm, many of them may still not understand what 'ping-ping-zhe-zhe-ze-ping-ping' means. From a basic perspective, it seems still necessary. It is evident that this book by Wang Li is primarily a specialized work on the common knowledge of poetry and lyrics, making it not only suitable for university students but also for general poetry enthusiasts." The Poetic Rhythm of Chinese Language was originally divided into five chapters and was quite extensive. To allow more poetry enthusiasts to benefit from it, we consulted with Wang Li's wife and decided to extract the 'Modern Poetic Forms' (Chapter from the original work) and publish it separately as The Poetic Rhythm of Modern Chinese Poetry by Wang Li. Additionally, we attached the original 'Introduction' to the standalone edition to help readers gain a comprehensive understanding of the methods of Chinese poetry.