Xin Qiji

Author: Liu Zhongwei
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2005-10-01
Features: Chinese classical poetry emphasizes emotion and landscape, excelling in expressing friendship, family affection, love, nostalgia, and other complex and subtle personal feelings. This forms another strong tradition in Chinese poetry. Under the influence of Confucianism, Chinese poetry has almost always possessed the characteristic of "emerging from emotion and stopping at propriety." The expression of emotions is relatively unrestrained, restrained, and implicit, differing from Western poetic styles. At the same time, Chinese poets emphasize "imparting an unspoken meaning beyond the words," skillfully conveying implicit meanings through various artistic techniques, giving readers endless room for reflection and imagination. Outstanding works of ancient poetry are often deeply moving, rich in imagery and musicality. Reciting these poems allows one to experience multi-layered artistic inspiration and aesthetic cultivation. Classical poetry also excels in portraying the beauty of nature and the harmony between humans and nature. The ancients often said, "Poetry contains paintings, and paintings contain poetry." Each work in this series is accompanied by a contemporary Chinese painting created by an artist based on the poem's theme. By appreciating these poems and paintings, readers can more deeply understand the poetic and artistic essence of ancient Chinese art and savor its beauty.
In addition to the "poetic and artistic essence" feature, this series presents each poet or lyricist in a separate volume to more clearly showcase their individuality and artistic style. Each volume includes a brief biography of the poet and an appreciation of their works. The appreciation of each work is divided into three chapters: title explanation, line-by-line explanation, and critical analysis. The title explanation provides the background of the creation; the line-by-line explanation translates the poem into modern Chinese line by line, with annotations for difficult words and phrases; the critical analysis summarizes the key points and offers comments on the work's characteristics. Our primary intention is to help readers overcome textual barriers in reading, followed by understanding the ideological content, artistic features, and writing techniques of the poetry.
Ancient Chinese classics elevate the Chinese language to a realm of ultimate beauty and purity, enough to make every Chinese person feel proud. These works serve as a cultural bond connecting the thoughts and emotions of all descendants of the Yellow River. Whether at home or abroad, the power of outstanding poetry resonates with readers alike. A person who loves traditional Chinese culture may continuously engage with and study the legacy of their ancestors. Over time, a part of this outstanding culture will accumulate in each person's mind, forming a beautiful artistic gallery that constantly provides enlightenment, inspiration, and artistic enjoyment. We hope that the famous poems introduced in this series can become part of this artistic gallery.
The eight poets introduced in this series each have many timeless masterpieces. Due to space constraints, each poet is only selected for two to thirty representative works.