The History of Tang Poetry

Author: Zhang Enfu
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-03-01
Features: The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was the golden age of the development of classical Chinese poetry. The Complete Collection of Tang Poems compiled during the Qing Dynasty contains over 48,900 poems, and when combined with the Supplementary Collection of Tang Poems compiled by Ming Dynasty scholars, the total reaches over 50,000 poems, written by more than 2,600 authors. This is nearly three times the number of poems left behind from the Western Zhou to the Southern and Northern Dynasties over a span of 1,600 to 1,700 years. The Tang Dynasty boasts 50 to 60 renowned poets with unique styles, surpassing the combined total of all previous dynasties, marking the greatest poetry feast in Chinese history. Tang poetry encompasses all major forms and schools. The Frontier Poetry School combines the heroic and melancholic spirit of Jian'an literature with the sorrowful and sentimental style of the Six Dynasties. The Landscape and Pastoral Poetry School excels in five-character and five-line ancient poems, depicting the magnificent and pristine natural scenery. The Yuanbai Poetry School emphasizes vivid imagery and delicate descriptions. The Han-Meng Poetry School inherits Du Fu's spirit of "striving for extraordinary language until death," valuing the extraordinary,, and unconventional. Among them, Li Bai's ethereal and magnificent style, Du Fu's profound and agitated verses, Wang Wei's exquisite craftsmanship, Wang Changling's bright and cheerful tone, Du Mu's sharp and, and Li Shangyin's subtle and, are all masterpieces of poetry. While narrating the history, music, customs, and recitation methods of the Tang Dynasty, this book selects 108 renowned Tang poems and provides detailed annotations and critiques for each. In terms of arrangement, this book breaks the traditional of Tang poetry anthologies, adopting the "left history, right poetry" format, organizing the poems along two threads—Tang poetry history and critiques of Tang poetry—corresponding to each other, making it easier for readers to appreciate Tang poetry within the cultural context of the Tang Dynasty. For years, undergraduate students in Chinese departments of universities generally study about 40 Tang poems, while graduate students in classical literature study about 70 to 80. This book selects from the works familiar to graduate students in classical literature and extends the selection appropriately, ensuring that the number of poems included is sufficient for a broad readership. The Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) was the golden age of the development of classical Chinese poetry. The Complete Collection of Tang Poems compiled during the Qing Dynasty contains over 48,900 poems, and when combined with the Supplementary Collection of Tang Poems compiled by Ming Dynasty scholars, the total reaches over 50,000 poems, written by more than 2,600 authors. This is nearly three times the number of poems left behind from the Western Zhou to the Southern and Northern Dynasties over a span of 1,600 to 1,700 years. The Tang Dynasty boasts 50 to 60 renowned poets with unique styles, surpassing the combined total of all previous dynasties, marking the greatest poetry feast in Chinese history. Tang poetry encompasses all major forms and schools. The Frontier Poetry School combines the heroic and melancholic spirit of Jian'an literature with the sorrowful and sentimental style of the Six Dynasties. The Landscape and Pastoral Poetry School excels in five-character and five-line ancient poems, depicting the magnificent and pristine natural scenery. The Yuanbai Poetry School emphasizes vivid imagery and delicate descriptions. The Han-Meng Poetry School inherits Du Fu's spirit of "striving for extraordinary language until death," valuing the extraordinary,, and unconventional. Among them, Li Bai's ethereal and magnificent style, Du Fu's profound and agitated verses, Wang Wei's exquisite craftsmanship, Wang Changling's bright and cheerful tone, Du Mu's sharp and, and Li Shangyin's subtle and, are all masterpieces of poetry. While narrating the history, music, customs, and recitation methods of the Tang Dynasty, this book selects 108 renowned Tang poems and provides detailed annotations and critiques for each. In terms of arrangement, this book breaks the traditional of Tang poetry anthologies, adopting the "left history, right poetry" format, organizing the poems along two threads—Tang poetry history and critiques of Tang poetry—corresponding to each other, making it easier for readers to appreciate Tang poetry within the cultural context of the Tang Dynasty. For years, undergraduate students in Chinese departments of universities generally study about 40 Tang poems, while graduate students in classical literature study about 70 to 80. This book selects from the works familiar to graduate students in classical literature and extends the selection appropriately, ensuring that the number of poems included is sufficient for a broad readership.