Byu rain qi ci hua

Author: (Qing) Chen Tingzhuo
Publisher:
Publishing Date: October 30, 1959
Features: During the Qing Dynasty, the study of ci poetry was highly, and there were many works on ci poetry. Baiyu Zhai Ci Hua is one of the later and important works. Chen Tingzhuo's theories on ci poetry primarily advocate the development of the Changzhou ci school, emphasizing that composing ci should be based on "having something to feel" and "having something to." He opposed whining without reason and also criticized the practice of "speaking in a straightforward manner without leaving room for interpretation." In terms of style, he particularly emphasized "deep melancholy." He said, "What is meant by deep melancholy is that the intention comes before the brush, and the spirit lingers beyond the words. It expresses the feelings of a sorrowful husband and a longing wife, or the sentiments of an illegitimate son and a loyal minister. Any coldness in relationships or the drifting of one's life can be conveyed through a single blade of grass or a single tree. Yet, when expressed, it must be subtle and elusive, as if wanting to reveal yet not revealing, lingering and winding, never allowing a single word to fully expose the meaning. Not only does this demonstrate a high literary style, but it also reflects a deep character." Baiyu Zhai Ci Hua argues from various perspectives on the importance of "deep melancholy," covering a very broad range. Ci poets from the Tang and Five Dynasties to the Qing Dynasty are evaluated, and there is also criticism of ci selections and theories from different eras, offering many points for reference. The author of this book mentions in the preface that he "wrote ten volumes of ci poetry discussions," but only eight volumes were published. Bao Ronghan and Xu Zhengshi also mention in the postscript of the book that there are only eight volumes. This may be because the original manuscript was ten volumes, later revised to eight, or perhaps the "ten" in the preface was a typo. Currently, the lead-printed edition by Kaiping Bookstore is used as the base text, with the Guangxu twenty-year edition for collation, numbered and punctuated.