Rare Editions: Four Song Dynasty Poetic Commentaries

Author: Zhang Bowei (Editor and Compiler)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: April 1, 2002
Features: Song Dynasty poetry criticism primarily took the form of poetic discussions, and through the collection and research of scholars, its basic outline has become well-known in academia. However, there remain some less widely circulated poetic discussions from Song Dynasty scholars that deserve academic attention. This book collects four Song Dynasty poetic discussions: the Wotian edition of Cold Studio Night Talks, the Ming-era manuscript of Western Clear Poetic Discussions, the Korean edition of Tang and Song Classified Poetic Discussions by Famous Scholars, and the Ming-era manuscript of Northern Mountain Poetic Discussions. Additionally, it appends one work by the Edo-era Japanese scholar Mugaku Doshun, A Study of Cold Studio Night Talks, and one work from the Kanbun era, Heavenly Kitchen Forbidden Delicacies. These poetic discussions, either circulated as manuscripts or stored abroad, were unknown to domestic academia, hence the term "rare editions." Furthermore, since the collected discussions are mostly foreign versions, they are listed as one of the special publications of the "Institute of Extraterritorial Chinese Manuscripts, Nanjing University."
A preface written by the compiler introduces each poetic discussion, covering the authors, historical context, poetic value, and the characteristics of the collected versions. This book holds significant documentary value. First, it provides academia with a collection of rare poetic discussions, aiding scholars in a comprehensive understanding of Song Dynasty poetry criticism. Second, the collected versions are relatively refined, allowing for the correction of numerous errors in circulating manuscripts. Third, the compiler has meticulously collated the collected discussions, helping to restore their original form and providing academia with a valuable reference text.