Ritual Customs and the Evolution of Pre-Qin Poetry - New Journal of Chinese History and Culture

Author: Han Gaonian
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-09-01
Features: This book studies the form, origin, and evolution of pre-Qin poetry from the perspective of ritual culture, comprehensively employing research methods from various related disciplines. The research materials include literature on pre-Qin poetry, unearthed documents, and poetic materials outside the traditional research scope, reflecting the concept of broad literary studies and revealing the connotations of poetry during the pre-Qin period. The main arguments include:
- Shangshu·Yugong is a ritual eulogy praising the achievements of Yu the Great in controlling floods, widely circulated during the pre-Qin period;
- Xia Xiaozheng is a ritual verse on arranging agricultural schedules derived from the ritual of bestowing farming seasons, which influenced the formation of agrarian poems represented by Qiyue;
- Shang Song, a collection of Shang poems, includes five poems such as Dahu, which are ritual eulogies in different textual forms across periods;
- Chuci·Jiu Ge is a set of Shang poems compiled by Qu Yuan as eulogies for the state of Chu.