Classical Poetry 古诗词

    Amongthe earliest and most influential poetic anthologies (诗集) was Songs of Chu (Chu Ci) ,made up primarily of poems ascribed to Qu Yuan and his follower Song Yu. The songs in this collection are more lyrical and romantic and represent a different tradition from the earlier Book of Songs. During the Han Dynasty, this form evolved into the fu, a poem usually in rhymed verse except for introductory and concluding passages that are in prose, often in the form of questions and answers. The era of disunity that followed the Han saw the rise of romantic nature poetry heavily influencedby Taoism.

    Classical poetry reached its peak during the Tang Dynasty. The early Tang Dynasty was best known for its “lushi”^①(regulated poem), an eight-line poem with five or seven words in each line; and jueju (truncated poem) , a four-line poem with five or seven words in eachline. The two best-known poets of the period were Li Bai (701-762) and Du Fu(712-770). Being unconstrained and most talented, Li Bai traveled all overChina. With lofty sentiments(情怀) and powerful imagination, he created many poems in praise of its magnificent mountains and mighty rivers. He also showed deep concern for state affairs, refuting corrupt politics, or expressing his wishes for the realization of his lofty aspirations. Some 900 poems of Li Bai have been preserved, of which the most famous are “Invitation to Wine” (将进酒), “The Sichuan Road” (蜀道难), and “Watching the Waterfallat Lushan”.

When Du Fu was young, he visited many scenic spots and places of historical interest. Later,he lived among the poor at the bottom of society. His turbulent experiences enabled him to know better the darkness of human society and people’ssufferings. In his poems, he boldly exposed the corruption of the feudal court,profoundly portrayed people's miserable lives and the social upheavals of theday. About 1,400 of his poems have been preserved today, of which the best-known are “Looking out on Spring”(春望), “Balladof the Army Carts” (兵车行) .

Famous poets of the Tang also include Wang Wei, Bai Juyi, Li He, Li Shangyin, to name but a few. Chinese people are very fond of Tang poetry, and even children can recite some from memory, such as Thoughts in the Silent Night by Li Bai, Good Rain ona Spring Night by Du Fu, etc. Verses like “if you want to widen your viewthree hundred miles / Go up one more flight of stairs”, “Do you not see the Yellow River pouring from the sky” are often quoted. The book of Three Hundred Tang Poems is a best seller at home and abroad, making Tang poetry part of the world treasury of great verse. 

Subsequent writers of classical poetry lived under the shadow of their great Tang predecessors(前辈). Althoughthere were many fine poets in subsequent dynasties, none reached the level ofthis period. As the classical style of poetry lost its prominence, a more flexible poetic medium, the ci, arrived on the scene. The ci, a poetic form based on the tunes of popular songs, some of Central Asian origin, was developed to its fullest by the poets of the Song Dynasty. In the course of its development, many outstanding ci composers, such as Su Shi, Li Qingzhao, XinQiji and Lu You have appeared.

Su Shi’s ci poems are unrestrained, refreshing and smooth. The contents of his ci poems are rich in subject matter, some expressing his patriotism, some describing countryscenes, some depicting grievance(委屈) when loved ones had to part. His works blazed a new trail for the development of ci poetry.

   Li Qingzhao was an outstanding ci poetess. Her works are exquisite,refined and full of true feelings. She expressed her understanding and pursuitof true love, described the impact of the changing seasons on human feelings,and reflected the misery of people suffering from the fall of their country andthe disasters that befell families. Many of her verses such as “This feeling isunable to be removed. / It was shown on my knitted eyebrows a moment ago buthas now come to pain my heart.” ^② show her poetic gifts.

Xin Qiji was the most prolific (多产的) among theci poets of the Song Dynasty. His works are filled with heroism. His lines suchas “Half drunk I lit the lamp to look at my sword / After dreams of the buglesin our army camps?”, “Green mountains are no bar / To the river flowing on tothe sea” have been circulating generation after generation. They not onlyreflected army life in camps but also indicated his determination to resist theJin troops and his deep love for his own country. Xin’s ci poems greatlybroadened the themes and enriched the artistic style of the Song ci poetry.

    As the ci gradually became more literary and artificial after Song times, Chinese Sanqu poetry, a more free form, based ondramatic arias, developed. The use of Sanqu songs in drama marked an importantstep in the development of vernacular(白话文) literature.

 

Abridgedand revised from

http://www.hwjyw.com/zhwh/content/2009/09/03/668.shtml

 

Notes:

① lushi: 律诗是中国近体诗的一种。律诗每首分别为五言、七言句，简称五律、七律。通常的律诗规定每首8句。超过8句，即10句以上的，则称排律或长律。

② This feeling is unable to be removed. / It was shown on my knittedeyebrows a moment ago but has now come to pain my heart: 此情无计可消除，才下眉头，却上心头。