Collection of Poems and Prose from Xiaocang Mountain House (Complete 2 Volumes), Hardcover: Chinese Classical Literature Series

Author: Yuan Mei (Qing Dynasty), edited and annotated by Zhou Benchun
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1988-01-01
Features: Yuan Mei (1716–1797), styled Zicai, styled Jianzhai, also styled Laoyuren, was a native of Qiantang, Zhejiang (now Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He passed the imperial examination in the fourth year of the Qianlong reign (1739) and served as a magistrate in Lishui, Jiangpu, and Jiangning. After resigning from office, he settled in Jiangning and purchased a garden, "Suiyuan," on the Xiaocang Mountain in Nanjing, taking the name Laoyuren. He devoted nearly 50 years to writing poetry, prose, and essays in this garden, which gained him considerable fame. He loved traveling and exploring the landscapes of southeastern China, visiting every place of interest. His garden, filled with flowers, trees, bamboo, and rocks, was secluded and elegant. Scholars from all over the world who traveled to southeastern China often visited his garden, indulging in poetry and wine without rest. His collected works were highly valued by officials from the court to merchants in the streets, with even those from Ryukyu traveling far to seek them. At that time, Shen Deshan's poetry emphasized tone and rhythm, and his disciples spread this style, forming a prominent school. However, Yuan Mei proposed the theory of "spiritual essence" and contested for dominance, gaining widespread support. Generally, Yuan Mei excelled in seven-character regulated verse and seven-character quatrains. As for seven-character classical verse, critics considered it overly unrestrained, lacking refinement and precision, with a bold but careless style. In prose, his writing was bold and unrestrained, unbound by conventional rules, striving for novelty while still connecting with the classics. However, his eulogies and ceremonial writings were not without flaws. Yuan Mei was also skilled in parallel prose, with his writing displaying rhythm and precision, deeply rooted in ancient methods. Sometimes, he wrote in a continuous flow, blending prose and parallel prose, showcasing his extraordinary talent. Yuan Mei's thinking was relatively free and liberated. Reversing his name "Zicai" could call him a "talented scholar." The "Xiaocang Mountain Studio Collection of Poems and Prose" features many poems that express leisurely sentiments and indulgence in the beauty of nature, yet they possess a fresh and unique style. The "Xiaocang Mountain Studio Collection" is often said that among the scholars of the Qianlong and Jiaqing reigns, Yuan Mei surpassed others in both the richness of his writings and the breadth of his influence, fully enjoying the pleasures of nature and the fame of literature. However, after his death, those who attacked him did so with great vigor.