Tang Poetry Dictionary

Author: Zhou Xunchu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2003-09-20
Features: The purpose of compiling this dictionary is to provide the academic community with a reference work that balances knowledge and scholarship. Poetry enthusiasts can learn various basic knowledge from it, and researchers of Tang poetry can also gain inspiration for further exploration. Therefore, each entry is written with the aim of summarizing existing academic achievements, providing reliable conclusions, and including new perspectives for further discussion for reference. The dictionary is divided into eight major sections: Poets, Genres, Works, Famous Poems, Rules of Poetry, Allusions, Idioms, and Scenic Spots. Some sections contain additional content, such as famous poems including excellent lines and explanations of place names. It ensures that all fundamental knowledge of Tang poetry is reflected in this dictionary. The dictionary contains approximately 6,000 entries (including cross-references). Among them, the section on poets includes over 3,800 entries, covering all poets known so far from the Tang and Five Dynasties periods. The section on famous poems includes over 900 entries, which can be read as a unique anthology of Tang poetry. The section on works includes over 400 entries, carefully selected from books on Tang poetry from ancient and modern times, with many insights not found in other works. The dictionary is followed by a comprehensive index arranged in Pinyin order. The dictionary follows academic conventions, including the Five Dynasties period within the scope of Tang poetry. Poets included may have originated in the Sui Dynasty and later moved to the Tang, or may have moved to the Song Dynasty but were primarily active during the Five Dynasties period. Works by overseas scholars and scholars from Hong Kong and Taiwan on Tang poetry are temporarily omitted and will be supplemented later.