The Poem Speaks of China's 5000 Years. The Republic of China Volume

Author: Meng Qingqi et al.
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2006-06-01
Features: In the long and continuous history of China, poetry has been the mainstream of literary art for a considerable period. Poetry, with its brevity, clear rhythm, harmonious rhyme, implicit meaning, and ease of recitation, has been particularly favored by people. For example, the Book of Songs contains three hundred poems, with simple yet beautiful language. Whether for expressing emotions or describing events, it possesses strong artistic appeal. Since Confucius compiled it, it has been highly valued by scholars and literati. The Confucian school regarded it as a classic, repeatedly studying it, and achieving mastery in its depths could elevate one to the status of an expert. The Book of Songs has had a profound influence on the development of later poetry, from the Songs of Chu and Han Fu to the Yuefu of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties, from the Tang and Song Ci poetry to modern vernacular free verse. Chinese poetry has a long and rich heritage, with an abundance of outstanding works. Classical poetry gradually evolved from the initial themes of expressing emotions and describing events to two main directions: romanticism and realism. Among them, narrative poetry, with its strong social impact, has been highly valued by society. For instance, the Song of the Mulberry Fields, The Linlin Girls, The Peacock Flying Southwest, and The Ballad of Mulan in the Han and Wei Yuefu are long-lasting and widely beloved; Du Fu’s “Three Officials and Three Partings,” Bai Juyi’s Song of Everlasting Sorrow and The Ballad of the Pipa, and Yuan Zhen’s Ode to the Palace of Connected Fragrances are timeless masterpieces; since the Ming and Qing dynasties, Li Dongyang’s Ballad of the Flower General, Li Mengyang’s Ballad of the Xueming Palace, Wei Yuan’s Ode to Jiangnan and Ode to the Capital, and Huang Zunxian’s Ballad of General Nie and Lament for Lushun have all pursued the artistic heights of predecessors, all being immortal works. Compiling collections of narrative poetry is an excellent tradition in Chinese scholarship. In the Southern Song Dynasty, Ji Yougong extensively collected Tang Dynasty poetry, compiling a massive work, first publishing Records of Tang Poetry, followed by Li Xiao’s Records of Song Poetry, Chen Yan’s Records of Liao, Jin, and Yuan Poetry, Chen Tian’s Records of Ming Poetry, Deng Zhicheng’s Initial Records of Qing Poetry, and Qian Zhonglian’s Records of Qing Poetry, edited by Qian Zhonglian. These works are chronologically connected and follow similar formats, though their purposes differ: some aim to uncover hidden truths and “prove history through poetry”; others seek to evaluate artistic merit and “prove poetry through history”; some simply preserve anecdotes and works of poets of a generation. Records of Tang Poetry was compiled by Ji Yougong out of concern for the loss of the lives of poets of a generation, collecting the main works and biographies of 1,150 poets, preserving valuable materials. However, its flaws include not noting the sources of its information and having lax selection criteria, with a significant number of poems lacking biographical context. Records of Song Poetry was compiled by Li Xiao, who noticed that later generations had overlooked the artistic value of Song Ci poetry, aiming to reform literary trends. His concept of “events” still referred not to major social and economic events but to anecdotes of poets composing poetry, supplemented by critical comments on poetry, resembling a comprehensive collection of poetry of a generation. Chen Yan’s Records of Liao, Jin, and Yuan Poetry follows Li Xiao’s format but maintains stricter selection criteria, excluding works that are not narrative poetry. Chen Tian’s Records of Ming Poetry also follows Li Xiao’s approach, focusing on collecting anecdotes of poets of a generation, occasionally including long poems reflecting major political events, though works lacking significant events still occupy a large portion. Deng Zhicheng, treating poetry as a historian, meticulously verified the lives of the six hundred poets included in Initial Records of Qing Poetry, collecting over 2,000 poems with rigorous selection criteria, excluding works lacking biographical context. From this perspective, his selected works are not limited to famous poets but are chosen for their “events.” Unfortunately, he only covered the Yuefu of the Shunzhi and Kangxi reigns. Professor Qian Zhonglian edited Records of Qing Poetry, combining the strengths of various formats, citing over 1,000 books, and including more than 5,000 authors, creating a monumental work that comprehensively covers anecdotes of poets of a generation and important narrative poems. All these collections follow the format of associating people with their poems, with works on the same event scattered across different volumes. Due to their vast size, they are inconvenient to search. “Proving poetry through history” is an excellent academic tradition in China. Huang Zongxi, a renowned thinker in the early Qing Dynasty, advocated for “complementing history with poetry,” once saying: “When praising Du Fu’s poetry as a history of poetry, it is indeed true. However, those who annotate Du Fu’s poetry only see ‘proving poetry through history,’ yet they have never heard of ‘complementing history with poetry.’ Although it is called a history of poetry, history itself is not based on poetry.” (Huang Zongxi, Preface to the Poetry of Mr. Wan Lian’an, in Collected Works of Nanlei, Volume 1). Chen Yinque, a famous historian, recognized this and engaged in research on “proving poetry through history.” His Annotations and Explanations of Yuan and Bai’s Poetry holds great academic value and is highly regarded by scholars. Most official histories have been meticulously edited and embellished by rulers, distorting the truth and creating confusion. Through the method of “proving history with poetry” by distinguishing genuine from false, gaps in historical records can be filled, allowing people to approach historical truth. Based on this understanding, we have carefully selected narrative poems of various themes, adopting the format of “associating events with poetry” to compile this book, attempting to find historical truth from the intersection of literature and history, appreciate poetic art, and disseminate knowledge. Through systematic reading of epic poetry, literary enthusiasts can understand the rise and fall of Chinese history over five thousand years, while history enthusiasts can appreciate the social impact of poetic art and enhance their literary and artistic appreciation. In compiling this book, we have strived for uniformity across all volumes, but due to the division of labor among multiple contributors, minor inconsistencies may arise. We apologize for any inconvenience. Additionally, due to the haste of compilation, omissions are inevitable. We sincerely welcome corrections from the knowledgeable.