Introduction to Famous Tang and Song Ci Poems

Author: Tan Xinhong
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2005-10-01
Features: This anthology is titled Introduction to Famous Tang and Song Ci Poems. "Tang and Song" indicates the selection period covers the Tang and Song dynasties, "famous poems" refers to the scope of selection being renowned works of Tang and Song Ci poetry, and "introduction" aims to guide beginners in learning Ci poetry. Different people may have different perspectives—"famous poems" are indeed difficult to define. Generally, every work in an anthology reflects the compiler's personal selection criteria. However, when compiling, each compiler inevitably brings their own aesthetic preferences, and sometimes even biases. A work considered a "famous poem" in this anthology might not be recognized as such in another. Our anthology can be said to differ from any previous Ci poetry selection. We select poems not bound by personal aesthetic preferences but guided by the principles of beautiful learning, using statistical methods for ranking. Thus, the "famous poems" in this book are the result of historical selection—the historically recognized masterpieces—making them more objective. This approach to "selecting" poems, though it risks losing the compiler's individuality and the anthology's style, remains a valuable attempt in the study of Ci poetry.