A Brief History of Chinese Literature (One of the Series of Research on National Culture from the Center for the Study of Traditional Chinese Culture, Peking University)

Author: Lin Geng
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-07-16
Features: Due to the characteristics of the Chinese language and script, literary language has always been one of the most economical, flexible, and dynamic languages in the world. These features naturally make it more suitable for the development of poetry. The development of Chinese literature has taken poetry as its mainstream, forming its tradition. Language and script are the tools through which literature expresses itself, and the tools are one of the important factors determining the form of the product. Because China used excellent brushes directly for painting, it took the unique path of Chinese painting that is connected with calligraphy, and eventually developed the form of ink painting without using colors. As for the relationship between literature and its language, it also determines its form. The rich artistic capabilities of the language are constantly nourished and developed through the experiences of life. Life gives the language an artistic vitality, which is more than just a language issue and is indeed an important topic in the history of literature.