Selected Poems of Gao Qishi -- Renowned Classical Poetry Masters

Author: Li Shenghua
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-01-01
Features: Gao Qi was the greatest poet of the Ming Dynasty. His poetry, especially the works composed after entering Nanjing, is fresh and vigorous, possessing great artistic charm. This book is a true collection of Gao Qi's poems published in mainland China in recent years, selecting a total of 338 poems. It includes detailed annotations and explanations, arranged in chronological order of creation, which is very helpful for a comprehensive understanding of this outstanding poet.
Gao Qi was a Ming Dynasty poet, styled Ji Di, and originally from Changzhou (now Suzhou, Jiangsu). During the late Yuan Dynasty, he lived in seclusion at Qingqiu in Wusong. He styled himself Qingqiuzi. In the first year of the Hongwu reign (1368), he was summoned to the court and appointed as a compiler in the Hanlin Academy. Due to his talent, he was favored by Zhu Yuanzhang and later appointed to teach the princes and compile the History of the Yuan Dynasty.
Gao Qi was a man of high principles and integrity, with his thoughts rooted in Confucianism but also influenced by Buddhism and Taoism. He grew weary of court politics and had no desire for fame or wealth. Therefore, in the autumn of the third year of the Hongwu reign (1370), when Zhu Yuanzhang offered him the position of Right Vice Minister of Revenue, Gao Qi firmly declined and was granted gold and sent back in disgrace. However, Zhu Yuanzhang suspected him of composing poems that mocked him, leading to resentment.
After returning to Qingqiu, Gao Qi supported himself by teaching and farming. When the Suzhou prefect Wei Guan repaired the old foundation of the prefectural office, Gao Qi wrote the Speech for the Raising of the Beam. Because the old foundation had once been the residence of Zhang Shicheng, someone falsely accused Wei Guan of harboring rebellious intentions, leading to Wei's execution. Gao Qi was also implicated and beheaded.
Gao Qi was already renowned as a poet in his youth and was known as one of the "Four Masters of Wu" alongside Yang Ji, Zhang Yu, and Xu Zeng. His literary philosophy advocated learning from the poetry of the Han, Wei, Jin, and Tang dynasties, believing that after mastering the classics, one could establish their own style. He stated, "One should learn from the strengths of many, imitate according to the circumstances, and only then, when the time is right and the heart is harmonized, can one be called a master without the flaw of narrowness" (Preface to the Solitary Studio Collection). However, he died in his prime and did not achieve the goal of forming a unique style. His poetry varied in form and style, showing traces of imitation from the Han, Wei, Jin, and Tang periods. Nevertheless, his talent was brilliant, and he produced many excellent works, making him one of the greatest poets of the Ming Dynasty.
Gao Qi held office for only three years but spent most of his time in the countryside, so some of his poems depict the lives of farmers, such as The Cowherd, The Fisherman, The Silkworm Farmer, The Duck Hunter, The Woodcutter, The Reaper, The Tea Plucker, The Peasant's Journey, and Watching the Harvest. These poems do not idealize rural life but, to some extent, reflect class exploitation and the suffering of the people. For example, in Songs of Huizhou for the Departing Prefect Chen, he writes:
"The grass is vast, the water flows.
The upper fields are overgrown, the lower fields are submerged.
The middle fields have wheat, but the oxen are scarce.
The crops are not yet sufficient to pay the taxes.
When the prefect arrives, he shakes his jade bell under the mulberry tree,
Listening as I sing the Songs of Huizhou.
The Songs of Huizhou, though quiet,
Tell of the sorrow in the village under the moon."
Other poems like The Old Farmer of Lianqi, Passing the Battlefield of Fengkou, Hearing the Arrival of the Long Spear Troops and Escaping Yuecheng at Night to Kanshan, and The Great Flood also depict the hardships of farmers in the face of natural disasters and warfare. These works are the essence of Gao Qi's poetry.
About eighty percent of Gao Qi's poems are personal reflections, landscapes, and responses to friends. Some of these poems subtly criticize the ruling class. For example, in the fifth-class poem Solitary Reflection (No. 7), he writes:
"The grand road was originally straight,
But the end is fraught with danger.
A cup of wine pours the heart out,
Yet suspicion arises in an instant.
Tian Que pushed out Dou Ying,
Zhao Gao slandered Li Si.
In their scheming, there was no pretense,
But power and favor were the foundation of disaster."
This reveals the internal contradictions of the ruling class. Another poem, Three Poems on Taibai (No. 3), written after his retirement, states:
"Do not overlook the host of Xinfeng,
Even a slave has the bones of a marquis."
This was actually a satire of the new nobles of the Ming Dynasty. However, Gao Qi's thoughts were complex, and he also wrote many poems expressing gratitude for imperial favor and adopting a pessimistic, reclusive attitude, unable to escape the limitations of his class.
Gao Qi's poetry has certain artistic features. First, some of his poems advocate realism, with meticulous descriptions of scenes. For example:
"The mist hangs over the yellow river and the islets,
The fields are covered in white ice."
"Birds peck at the broken willow,
Insects hang lightly from the falling leaves."
"The dog follows the spring girl,
The rooster wakes the morning farmer."
These lines stem from real-life observations, vivid and authentic. Second, he emphasizes subtlety, with profound and lingering flavors. For instance, in The Ballad of Digging a Canal:
"The canal is deep, ten feet;
The canal is wide, eighty fathoms.
If you don’t lament the digging,
The Yellow River once opened over a thousand feet.
Don’t you see, the Grand Secretary Jia?"
Only a few words, yet the ending cuts off abruptly, leaving a deep aftertaste. Third, he uses few allusions, striving for clarity, and some short poems even have the flavor of folk songs. For example, in Four Seasons Songs (No. 2):
"The red-dressed woman leaves hastily,
Walking south along the lake path.
Unwilling to turn back,
The lotus flowers are as lovely as your lover."
These poems are simple and moving. Their creation was likely related to his close contact with the lower classes during his time in the countryside.
Gao Qi's poetry had a wide influence on Ming Dynasty poetry, earning him the title of "the greatest poet of the Ming Dynasty." He also wrote ci poetry, most of which was mundane in content and had a somber tone, inferior to his poems. His prose had little originality, but The Story of the Brave Chicken was particularly brilliant. It portrays a young man who dares to fight against local tyrants, with concise language and an engaging plot, reminiscent of Tang Dynasty legends.
Gao Qi’s works include a large number of poems, initially compiled into five collections with over 2,000 poems. Later, he self-edited The Cang Collection, which included 937 poems. In the first year of the Jingtai reign (1450), Xu Yong collected the remaining works and compiled The Complete Collection of Grand Historian Gao, which is now commonly found in The Four Treasuries Collation and was printed based on it. His ci poetry was compiled into The Collection of Kuean Collection, and his prose into The Collection of Duck Algae, both published separately.