50 Ancient Poems and Prose Every Middle School Student Must Memorize - (Middle School Part) (Revised Edition)

Author: Wang Feng
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2002-01-01
Features: Below each selected poem and prose, there are three supplementary texts: author introductions, annotations, and interpretations. The author introductions provide background information about the authors and their works. The annotations explain difficult words and allusions, aiming for accuracy and conciseness, with pinyin annotations for some challenging characters. The interpretation section focuses on analyzing the main content and characteristics of the texts, helping readers, teachers, and parents better understand the ideological content and artistic features of the works. Ancient Chinese literature and art are interconnected, and the book includes several ancient Chinese paintings that correspond to the content of the poems and prose, aiding readers in deepening their understanding and broadening their perspectives.
The Ministry of Education promulgated the "Full-time Compulsory Education Chinese Curriculum Standards" in July 2001, and this book was compiled based on the recommended recitation list of excellent ancient poems and prose for junior high school students according to the "Standards," selecting a total of fifty ancient poems and prose.
We often say that ancient China had a tradition where literature, history, and philosophy were not separated. Half of the prose selected in this book are not the literary prose we usually refer to, but historical and philosophical prose. For example, the articles selected from The Analects and Mencius belong to Confucian classics, primarily expressing the philosophy of governance, conduct, and personal cultivation. However, they do not dryly preach principles but are rich in literary charm: The Analects skillfully uses concise language to record the words and appearances of figures, while "Fish I Want" and "Born of Suffering, Died of Comfort" reflect Mencius's expertise in metaphors and powerful rhetoric. "The Battle of Cao Ji" and "Zou Ji's Persuasion of King Qi to Accept Advice" are historical prose, but they also demonstrate exceptional narrative techniques and vivid writing. "The Three Gorges" is selected from the geographical work Annotations to the Waterways of the Empire, and it is also elegant, concise, and literary prose. "The Memorial to the Emperor" and "A Letter to Ma Sheng on His Departure" are practical articles in terms of style. The latter discusses attitudes and methods of learning, which still have practical reference value today. These articles have a relatively simple style, without excessive ornamentation, but they all pay attention to structure and layout, employing various techniques with sincere emotions, equally possessing strong artistic appeal.
The literary prose in the book ranges from over four hundred to five hundred words, such as "Record of Yueyang Tower" and "Record of", to less than one hundred words, such as "On the Fragrance of Lotus" and "Record of a Night Visit to Chengtian Temple," fully reflecting the vivid, concise, and exquisite characteristics of ancient prose. The phrases "To be worried before others and happy after others" from "Record of Yueyang Tower," "The meaning of the Drunken Old Man is not in the wine" from "Record of," and "To emerge from the mud without being stained" from "On the Fragrance of Lotus" are concise and highly general, becoming famous and widely quoted sayings.
Many outstanding ancient Chinese writers were deeply concerned with reality and held beautiful ideals. Even if they could not change the corrupt reality, they never abandoned their ideals and never compromised with the morally corrupt. This thought is reflected in prose such as "The Memorial to the Emperor," "The Peach Blossom Spring," and "Record of Yueyang Tower," as well as in poems such as "Song of the Thatched Roof Blown by Autumn Wind" and "Crossing the Zero Deep Ocean." This strong patriotic and people-oriented sentiment, as well as the noble spirit of dedicating oneself to ideals, runs through the ancient Chinese literature and poetry.
The poems selected in this book span over two thousand years, from the Book of Songs to the late Qing Dynasty. They range from four-line to five-line and seven-line forms, from regulated verse to ci and sanqu, with diverse styles and content that change with the times, offering readers multi-dimensional and multi-angle artistic inspiration and aesthetic enjoyment. Whether it is the grandeur and magnificence of "Viewing the Ocean" and "Song of Snow for Wu Pan's Return," the subtlety and grace of "Reed in the Morning Light" and "Autumn Thoughts in Tianjing Sand," or the freshness and elegance of "Drinking," they all evoke a sense of yearning.
Chinese poetry reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty, with over 50,000 extant Tang poems, featuring diverse schools, styles, and a wealth of masterpieces. Great poets like Li Bai and Du Fu left behind the most brilliant treasures in the literary treasury. More than half of the poems selected in this book are Tang poems, reflecting this objective reality. From "A Letter to Wang Changling on His Left Transfer to Longbiao" and "Road Difficulty," we can see Li Bai's unrestrained, imaginative, and metaphorical style, while Du Fu's melancholic and rhythmic, as well as his concern for the times and sorrow for the world, are fully expressed in poems such as "Spring View" and "Song of the Thatched Roof Blown by Autumn Wind." In addition, Bai Juyi's poems are straightforward and fluent, Li He's are magnificent and peculiar, Li Shangyin's are sorrowful and lingering, and others like Wang Wei, Cen Shen, and Liu Yuxi each have their own strengths, showing the diverse and splendid landscape of the poetic realm.
The content of these poems covers a wide range of topics, from national affairs and people's livelihood to personal experiences. In addition to the common themes of focusing on reality and pursuing ideals, sincere friendship, family love, romantic love, and nostalgia have been indispensable themes in poetry since ancient times, as artfully expressed in works such as "The Song of the Swallow," "Farewell to Du Shaofu to Shuzhou," and "Night Rain to Bei." Regardless of whether the emotions are intense or gentle, or whether the expressions are direct or subtle, they all share the common characteristics of rich content and sincere emotions. Later generations described the overall characteristics of Tang poetry as "the atmosphere of the prosperous Tang" and "the spirit of youth," which is very reasonable.
Many ancient writers excelled in both poetry and prose, such as Han Yu, Liu Yuxi, and Su Shi. This book includes both their prose and poetry. Since poetry and prose are different genres, the characteristics demonstrated by the same writer in poetry and prose are also different. For example, Han Yu's "Miscellaneous Discourses" (IV) are short and sharp like daggers thrown at the target, while "Early Spring Presented to Zhang Shiba of the Water Department" is elegant and pleasing, revealing another side of the author. The versatile literary talent Su Shi has high artistic achievements in poetry, ci, and prose, each with its own distinct style but also a sense of unity. His "Night Visit to Chengtian Temple," "River Town in Mochou Hunting," and "Water Moon Reflected in the Moonlit River" all reflect his broad-mindedness and extraordinary talent.
By studying and memorizing these poems and prose, readers can enhance their understanding of ancient Chinese culture, art, and language, laying a foundation for future engagement with more Chinese cultural classics.
Below each selected poem and prose, there are three supplementary texts: author introductions, annotations, and interpretations. The author introductions provide background information about the authors and their works. The annotations explain difficult words and allusions, aiming for accuracy and conciseness, with pinyin annotations for some challenging characters. The interpretation section focuses on analyzing the main content and characteristics of the texts, helping readers, teachers, and parents better understand the ideological content and artistic features of the works. Ancient Chinese literature and art are interconnected, and the book includes several ancient Chinese paintings that correspond to the content of the poems and prose, aiding readers in deepening their understanding and broadening their perspectives.