Selected Yuan Qu with Comments: Chinese Literary and Historical Masterpieces Lecture Hall

Author: Deng Shaoji (Selected and Translated/Commented)
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2006-08-01
Features: The emergence and flourishing of Yuanqu (qu Yuan songs) marked another major boom in the prosperity of heterogeneous-meter poetry following the Song Dynasty's Ci poetry, holding an important position in the history of Chinese poetry. China is a land of poetry, with a long history of poetic creation. From the perspective of poetic forms, there was originally a distinction between homogeneous-meter and heterogeneous-meter poetry. Before the mid-Tang Dynasty, the initial forms were the Book of Songs, Yuefu (ancient Chinese poetic collections), and regulated verse, with lines gradually evolving from four-character to five-character to seven-character forms, representing the primary path of poetic form transformation. Heterogeneous-meter poetry also emerged and developed but never achieved a dominant position. After the mid-Tang Dynasty, as the form of heterogeneous-meter poetry (long-short lines), Ci (qu) poetry began to appear and gradually flourished, eventually forming a major tradition by the Song Dynasty—a significant event in the history of Chinese literature. If the Tang people created and perfected homogeneous-meter forms such as seven-character ancient verse and five-seven-character regulated verse (qu and lüshi), making outstanding contributions, the Song people made equally outstanding contributions by creating and refining Ci (long-short lines) as heterogeneous-meter poetry.
This series selects the most brilliant essence from the vast body of Chinese literature and history works. These works not only exhibit remarkable literary talent but also represent the intellectual forefront of their respective eras. A group of renowned scholars from one of China's most authoritative academic institutions—the Institute of Literature at the Chinese Academy of Social Sciences—have immersed themselves in these classics, carefully distilling their essence and applying their expertise to provide insightful annotations, explanations, and critiques. These works guide readers into a higher and broader realm of literary and historical studies.
Yuanqu (qu Yuan songs) possess their own unique systems and stylistic features. The selected works in this book are the cream of Yuanqu, with concise and precise interpretations, making it an excellent introductory reading for those seeking to understand this literary genre.