Selected Poems of Gao Qishi: Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Poetry

Author: Li Shenghua
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Gao Qi was the foremost poet of the Ming Dynasty. His poetry, especially that written after entering Nanjing, is fresh, vigorous, and highly artistic. This book is a genuine collection of Gao Qi's poems published in mainland China in recent years, selecting a total of 338 poems. It includes detailed annotations and explanations, arranged in chronological order of creation, which greatly aids in comprehensively understanding this outstanding poet.
Gao Qi was a Ming Dynasty poet, styled Ji Di, from Changzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu). During the late Yuan Dynasty, he lived in seclusion at Qingqiu in Wusong. He styled himself Qingqiu Zi. In the first year of the Hongwu reign (1368), he was summoned to the court and appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Due to his talent, he was favored by Zhu Yuanzhang and later appointed as a tutor to the princes, as well as a compiler of the History of the Yuan Dynasty.
Gao Qi was a man of high principles and integrity, with a philosophy rooted in Confucianism but also influenced by Buddhism and Taoism. He grew weary of court politics and had no ambition for official posts or wealth. Therefore, in the autumn of the third year of the Hongwu reign (1370), when Zhu Yuanzhang offered him the post of Vice Minister of Revenue, he firmly declined and was granted gold and sent back in disgrace. However, Zhu Yuanzhang suspected him of composing poems that criticized him, leading to resentment. After returning to Qingqiu, Gao Qi supported himself by teaching and farming.
When the Suzhou prefect Wei Guan repaired the old foundation of the prefectural office, Gao Qi wrote the Speech for the Raising of the Beam. Because the old foundation had once been the residence of Zhang Shicheng, someone falsely accused Wei Guan of harboring rebellious intentions, leading to Wei’s execution. Gao Qi was also implicated and beheaded.
Gao Qi was already renowned as a poet in his youth and was known as one of the "Four Masters of Wuzhong" alongside Yang Ji, Zhang Yu, and Xu Zeng. His literary philosophy advocated learning from the styles of the Han, Wei, Jin, and Tang dynasties, believing that after mastering the classics, one could establish their own style. He wrote, "To learn from the strengths of many, imitate in accordance with the times, and let it become natural and complete—only then can one be called a master and avoid the flaw of narrowness" (Preface to the Solitary Studio Collection). However, he died young and did not fully achieve his goal of forming a unique style. His poetry varied in form and style, showing imitations of the Han, Wei, Jin, and Tang styles. Nevertheless, his talent was brilliant, and he produced many excellent poems, making him one of the finest poets of the Ming Dynasty.
Gao Qi held office for only three years and spent most of his time in the countryside, so some of his poems depict the lives of farmers, such as The Cowherd’s Song, The Fisherman’s Song, The Sericulture Song, The Duck-Shooting Song, The Wood-Cutting Song, The Wheat-Harvesting Song, The Tea-Picking Song, The Peasant’s Journey, and Watching the Harvest. These poems do not idealize rural life but reflect, to some extent, class exploitation and the suffering of the people. For example, in Songs for Chen the Prefect of Huizhou, he wrote:
"The grass is vast, the water flows.
The upper fields are overgrown, the lower fields are submerged.
The middle fields have wheat, but the oxen are few.
The crops are not yet sufficient for tribute to the officials.
When the prefect arrives, he shakes his jade bell under the mulberry trees,
Listening as I sing the Songs of Huizhou.
The Songs of Huizhou, quiet and lingering,
In how many households does the moon of the desolate village bring sorrow?"
Other poems like The Old Farmer of Lianqi, Passing the Battlefields of Fengkou, Hearing the Arrival of the Long-Spear Troops and Escaping Yuecheng at Night to Kanshan, and The Great Flood also depict the hardships of farmers in the face of natural disasters and warfare. These works are the essence of Gao Qi’s poetry.
Ninety percent of Gao Qi’s poems are personal reflections, landscapes, and responses to friends. Some of these poems subtly criticize the ruling class. For instance, in the fifth-class poem Solitary Reflection, the seventh stanza reads:
"The grand road was originally straight, but the end is perilous.
A cup of wine pours out the heart, yet suspicion arises in an instant.
Tian Bao pushed out Dou Ying, and Zhao Gao slandered Li Si.
In their scheming, there was no pretense, and power and favor were the foundation of disaster."
This exposes the internal contradictions of the ruling class. Another poem, Three Stanzas on Taibai, the third stanza reads:
"Don’t overlook the host of Xinfeng,
Even a slave has the bones of a marquis."
This was actually a satire of the new nobles of the Ming Dynasty. However, Gao Qi’s thoughts were complex, and he also wrote many poems expressing gratitude for imperial favor and pessimistic verses about escaping the world, unable to escape the limitations of his class.
Gao Qi’s poetry has certain artistic features. First, some of his poems advocate realism, with meticulous descriptions of scenes. For example:
"The mist of the river and the yellow reeds, the fields covered in white ice."
"Birds peck at the broken willow, insects hang lightly from the fallen leaves."
"The dog follows the spring woman, the rooster awakens the morning farmer."
These lines stem from real-life observations, vivid and authentic. Second, he emphasizes subtlety, with a lingering charm. For instance, in The Canal-Digging Ballad:
"The canal is deep, ten feet;
The canal is wide, eighty fathoms.
If you don’t lament the digging of the canal,
Remember the Yellow River was once dug to a thousand feet.
You don’t see, the Minister of Finance."
Only a few lines, yet the ending cuts off abruptly, leaving a profound aftertaste. Third, he uses few allusions, striving for clarity, and some short poems have a folk flavor. For example, in the second stanza of Songs of the Four Seasons at Midnight:
"The red-dressed woman, hasty,
Leaves the South Lake path at dusk.
Unwilling to turn back the boat,
The lotus flowers are as lovely as your lover."
The language is simple and moving. These poems were likely influenced by his close contact with the common people during his time in the countryside.
Gao Qi’s poetry had a wide influence on Ming Dynasty literature, earning him the title of "Foremost Poet of the Ming Dynasty." He also wrote ci poetry, most of which was mundane in content and had a somber tone, inferior to his poems. His prose had little originality, but The Story of the Rooster-Fighting Youth was particularly brilliant. It portrays a brave young man who dared to fight against local tyrants, with concise language and an engaging plot, reminiscent of Tang Dynasty legends.
Gao Qi’s writings included a large number of poems, initially compiled into five collections with over 2,000 poems. Later, he self-edited The Collection of Gao Qi’s Poems, which included 937 poems. In the first year of the Jingtai reign (1450), Xu Yong collected the remaining works and compiled The Complete Collection of Grand Historian Gao, which is now commonly found in The Four Treasures of the Chinese Classics. The Complete Collection of Grand Historian Gao was printed based on this. His ci poetry was compiled in The Collection of Gao Qi’s Ci, his prose in The Collection of Gao Qi’s Prose, and both were published separately.