Commentary on Pre-Qin Poetry

Author: Jiang Liangfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 1999-05-01
Features: Poetry from the Pre-Qin period holds a highly important position in Chinese literature, with the Classic of Poetry and Chuci being the sources of the two major styles of classical Chinese literature. To enable modern readers to better appreciate the charm of Pre-Qin poetry and showcase the rich treasures of Chinese literature, this Companion to the Appreciation of Pre-Qin Poetry has been compiled. The book includes a total of 300 poems from the Pre-Qin period, each accompanied by detailed explanations and an appreciation essay, making it the best reference tool for reading and understanding the realist and romanticist styles of Pre-Qin poetry. This book is part of our publisher's series of literary appreciation companions. It collects poems from the Pre-Qin period, including the Classic of Poetry, Chuci, and other ancient folk songs. The Classic of Poetry and Chuci are the two major sources of realist and romanticist styles in classical Chinese literature, while other ancient songs, such as the Shiguwen, also hold significant importance, all of which have had a profound and lasting impact on the development of later literature. In the spirit of tracing the origins and showcasing the rich treasures of Chinese literature, we have compiled this Companion to the Appreciation of Pre-Qin Poetry, which complements other appreciation companions published by our press. Due to the limited number of poems from the Pre-Qin period that have survived to this day, the entire Classic of Poetry and Chuci (works before the Han Dynasty) have been included. Although the (The Oracles) and (The Fisherman) from Chuci are not strictly poetic forms, they carry a poetic essence and are closely related to other chapters of Chuci, so they are also included. Ancient folk songs from the Pre-Qin period, such as the Ji ran song (Song of Striking the Ram), Nan feng song (Song of the South Wind), and Qing yun song (Song of the Blue Clouds), which are believed by later scholars to be spurious, are also compiled into this book due to their long and widespread circulation and their significant influence on later literature. Considering the difficulty of reading ancient texts for general readers, detailed annotations and translations of the original poems have been provided. In the appreciation essays, different interpretations of the works by researchers throughout history are introduced appropriately to give readers a comprehensive understanding of each piece.