Word synthesis

Author: (Qing) Zhu Yizun, (Xiao) Wang Sen (eds)
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-11-01
Features: The Comprehensive Collection of Ci Poems is a renowned ci poetry anthology with rich content, comprising thirty-six volumes. Twenty-six of these volumes were compiled by the Qing-era poet Zhu Yizun, while the remaining ten were supplemented by Wang Sen. The entire collection includes 2,253 ci poems from the Tang, Five Dynasties, Song, Jin, and Yuan dynasties (Note: Volume 11 features Wang Shengping's Diǎn Jiàngchún, which appears again in Volume 31, making the actual count 2,252), written by 659 authors (excluding anonymous works). It was one of the largest ci poetry anthologies of its time.
Ci poetry, initially referred to as quci (lit. "melodic words") or quzihé ("song lyrics"), was originally a poetic form that accompanied music and could be sung. The origins and development of ci poetry are closely tied to the widespread popularity of yanyue zahuqu (banquet music mixed tunes) since the Sui and Tang dynasties. It first emerged in the folk, with Hetai and Yangliuzhi likely being folk songs from the Sui era. Dunhuang quzi ci (Dunhuang song lyrics) provide evidence that folk ci poetry creation flourished during the Tang dynasty. Some of these works exhibit a vigorous and fresh style, reflecting the thoughts and lifestyles of the urban populace. The popularity of folk ci poetry attracted the attention of scholars. As early as the mid-Tang period, a few poets began consciously imitating folk quci in their own creations. By the mid-Tang, the trend of scholars composing ci poetry grew, with works by Liu Yuxi and Bai Juyi, characterized by their fresh styles, being rooted in the absorption and application of folk ci poetry's achievements. By the late Tang and Five Dynasties, further developments occurred, with specialized ci poets and anthologies emerging. The number of ci poetic forms increased, and their formal and rhythmic structures became increasingly refined. Prominent ci poets such as Wen Tingyun, Wei Zhuang, Feng Yanji, and Li Yu began to develop their unique artistic styles.