Wenxin Diao Long Zhu (Upper and Lower) (Selected Works of Chinese Classical Literary Theory and Criticism)

Author: Liu Xie (Southern Dynasties of Liang) / Annotated by Fan Wenlan
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-03-05
Features: The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, written by Liu Xie of the Southern Dynasties of Liang, is one of the earliest and most complete masterpieces in the existing classical Chinese literary criticism. After a long period of development from the Zhou, Qin, and Han dynasties, Chinese classical literature had accumulated rich creative experience and explored various theoretical aspects. By the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties periods, there was a new leap in creation, and theory entered a phase of consciously summarizing experience. Starting from the Jian'an era, numerous full-length literary theory monographs began to appear one after another. By the time of the Qi and Liang dynasties, Liu Xie's The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons emerged, becoming the culmination of later works. This book comprises ten volumes and fifty chapters, which can be clearly divided into four parts: one, general theory; two, theories of literary genres; three, theories of creation; four, theories of appreciation, with the self-referential preface Preface and Introduction as the fiftieth chapter, summarizing the entire work. In this sense, The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons is a work without successors. Today, as we critically inherit the legacy of Chinese classical literary theory, we naturally should study this work earnestly.