Personal Library -- Three Hundred Yuanqu Poems

Author: Liu Hesheng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-06-01
Features: Yuanqu holds an equal footing with Tang poetry and Song ci in the history of Chinese literature, and they are regarded as brilliant pearls in the treasure trove of ancient Chinese cultural art. Yuanqu covers a wide range of themes and has a unique style, with simple yet elegant language. It includes melancholic reflections on the past, passionate and heroic sentiments about the frontier, and elegant expressions of longing and romance, all of which are filled with memorable and renowned lines. Yuanqu represents the last glory of ancient Chinese poetry and is called the best literature of the Yuan Dynasty. Its language is natural and lively, reflecting vivid scenes of life, excelling in character portrayal and emotional expression, with a strong folk foundation and urban flavor. It possesses strong openness, great freedom, powerful expressiveness, and high artistic quality. The structure of Yuanqu is similar to the xiaoling (a short form) of Tang and Song ci. As a poetic form alongside Tang poetry and Song ci, Yuanqu refers to sanqu. Sanqu originated from the "folk ballads and rustic songs" popular during the Jin and Yuan dynasties, which were refined and elevated by scholars. It absorbed the nourishment of traditional poetry and became more flexible and expressive in form, allowing for more unrestrained emotional expression and rich creativity. Thus, it eventually emerged as a new poetic form. From Yuanqu, we can also see that for Han scholars whose status declined during the Yuan Dynasty, sanqu provided them with a tool to express their thoughts and emotions more freely and fully. Their secularized, unrestrained, and less restrained life attitudes found an appropriate outward form. From the unfiltered innocence of Yuanqu, we can touch the real heartbeat of historical figures, moving us deeply.