Zhou Zhenfu recommends: Ancient Prose

Author: Zhou Zhenfu
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2004-11-01
Features: This anthology of ancient prose is equivalent to Qing Dynasty Yao Nai's Classified Collection of Classical Prose and Wu Chucai and Wu Diao's Essentials of Classical Prose. However, they call it "classical prose" or "classical literature," while we call it "ancient prose." Yao Nai's "classical prose" includes three categories: prose, parallel prose, and rhyming prose. For example, the selection of Zou Yang's Letter from Prison to the King of Liang is parallel prose, but the main parallel prose of the Wei, Jin, and Six Dynasties periods is not selected. Therefore, Li Zhaolu selected Collected Parallel Prose to supplement its deficiency; rhyming prose includes Qu Yuan's Li Sao, Sima Xiangru's Zixu Fu and Shanglin Fu, etc. Essentials of Classical Prose's "classical literature" selects prose, parallel prose, and four-six prose, such as Wang Bo's Preface to the Pavilion of Prince Teng, and also includes rhyming prose, such as Tao Yuanming's Talisman of Departure and Du Mu's The Palace of Fragrant Halls, etc. This anthology is designed to help readers understand the texts, such as prefaces, annotations, and modern translations. The prefaces briefly explain the main purpose and writing techniques of each piece, while the modern translations assist readers in comprehending the original text.