Reading Ancient Chinese Poetry for Beginners

Author: Wu Zhangshu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-04-01
Features: This book introduces the relevant knowledge of reading ancient Chinese poetry to beginners in a detailed and accessible way. It covers the origins, schools, and rules of ancient poetry, including rhyme, parallelism, and tonal patterns, as well as specialized terminology. It is not only an introductory guide to reading ancient poetry but also provides guidance on how to write it.
To understand the two important factors of poetry, some basic knowledge of reading poetry is necessary. There are two fundamental concepts about poetry that need to be roughly grasped: the four tones of Chinese characters (pingze and shuize) and what rhyme means. Because both tonal patterns and rhyme are important factors in poetry and integral parts of it, every poem contains these two elements. If one is not clear about these concepts, it will be impossible to further understand other aspects of poetry. Therefore, before discussing general knowledge about poetry, it is necessary to introduce the concepts of the four tones of Chinese characters, tonal patterns, and what rhyme means.