Li Qingzhao Materials Compilation

Author: Zhu Binjie / Sun Chong'en, etc. (editors)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Li Qingzhao, a famous female lyricist of the Song Dynasty, styled Yilian Jushi, was from Jinan, Shandong. Her father was the litterateur Li Gefei, and her mother was the daughter of Wang Gongchen, a top scholar, who was also skilled in writing. Li Qingzhao grew up in a family with a rich cultural atmosphere. At the age of 18, she married Zhao Mingcheng, a student of the Imperial Academy. Zhao Mingcheng wrote The Compendium of Antiquities and Artifacts, and Li Qingzhao wrote the preface to it, detailing their shared life and their love for calligraphy, painting, and antiques. Her early works mostly depicted the charm of domestic life and the splendid scenery of nature, with a fresh and bright style. After the fall of the Northern Song Dynasty, Li Qingzhao and her husband fled south in haste. In 1129, Zhao Mingcheng died of illness in Jiankang (now Nanjing), and she experienced the pain of a country in ruins alone. Therefore, her later works reflected the hardships of war-torn life, filled with sorrow for the times, nostalgia, and a somber, mournful style. The artistic characteristics of Li Qingzhao's lyrics mainly lie in her use of simple and realistic descriptive techniques, her skill in portraying subtle emotional changes, and her clear, conversational language. Among Song Dynasty lyricists, she stood out as a unique figure. She has Shuyu Ci (Lyrics of Shuyu). Li Qingzhao achieved remarkable success in poetry, lyrics, and prose. Her works were already widely celebrated during her lifetime, with famous lines and phrases becoming household names, leading to numerous citations and critiques. From the Song Dynasty to the Qing Dynasty, scholars have either her life, her creations, or composed in response to her poetry and lyrics, accumulating a vast amount of material over time. To provide some convenience for today's researchers, we have compiled this Compendium of Li Qingzhao Materials for reference.