Selected Poems of Li Shangyin

Author: Huang Shizhong (Editor)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-08-01
Features: Li Shangyin was a renowned poet of late Tang Dynasty, whose poetry is deeply moving, exquisitely crafted, and possesses a unique "Yishan Style" that greatly influenced later poets. However, his poems are often subtle and elusive, making them difficult to interpret. This book carefully selects 185 of his poems, arranged chronologically based on their creation dates. Drawing on the editor's extensive research and incorporating insights from past scholars, the book provides detailed annotations and explanations, offering valuable insights into Li Shangyin as a person and his works. The subtle and profound characteristics of Li Shangyin's poetry are reflected in its delicate and deep emotional expression, winding and slow rhythmic flow, melancholic yet elegant language, and often subdued yet somber tones. Thus, when describing scenery, his poems resemble morning mist; when expressing emotions, they seem like dreams. His metaphors for sound are often faint yet persistent, like a thread that never breaks, while his comparisons of color are like flowers in a mirror, colors in an image, or the moon in water—beautiful to behold but elusive. The "Title Explanations" in this book provide as much detail as possible about the background of each poem, as well as the names of people, places, and era-specific terms mentioned. For the deeper meanings, poetic techniques, and artistry, the explanations vary in length and style, being concise when brief and expansive when necessary. For sentences or lines that are particularly challenging or have abrupt transitions, such as in the "Untitled" poems, the book often employs sequential interpretation to clarify the meaning, allowing readers to first grasp the essence before delving into the artistic realm of the poetry. As for the "Annotations," all allusions are noted, difficult terms are explained, and obscure characters are annotated with Pinyin.