Essence of Poetry and Songs - Classics of National Culture

Author: Sun Li
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The "Poetry" and "Sao" have been compared for a long time. As early as the Han Dynasty, literary scholars enjoyed comparing the "Book of Songs" and the "Chu Ci," with figures like Sima Qian, Ban Gu, Yang Xiong, and Wang Yi all discussing this topic. By the Wei, Jin, and Six Dynasties periods, literati had recognized the "Poetry" and "Sao" as the sources of later literature. Liu Xie wrote a famous literary critique titled "The Heart of the Molding of Dragons," in which he fully affirmed the influence of the "Poetry" and "Sao" on later literature.
The "Book of Songs" and the "Chu Ci" represent different literary styles—one is the epitome of northern literature, simple and straightforward, focusing on the joys, sorrows, and emotions of modern life and real-life scenes. It has reached a very high level in expressing human emotions and depicting the intricate details of life. The other represents southern literature, romantic and elaborate, using a virtual approach to express the inner world of human life—sometimes passionate and turbulent, sometimes melancholic and ethereal. Combined with the descriptions of the beautiful mountains and rivers of the south, it forms exquisite poetic chapters. They represent different styles and types, as the twin pillars of early Chinese poetry, they are an outstanding cultural heritage worth pride.