Lessons on the Poetry of the Tang Dynasty

---

 

Cheng Qianfan (1913-2000) was a prominent scholar on ancient Chinese literature and history. The recent book Lessons on the Poetry of the Tang Dynasty is a collection of 11 articles by Cheng on the poetry of the Tang Dynasty.

Cheng explains classic poetry in a magnificent way that evokes great passion. He chooses to discuss representative and important issues in his articles. In the meantime, he also pays attention to summarizing and refining his methods for analysis, which makes his articles illuminating.

In the mid 1990s, based on his research experience, he proposed a method of combining studies of literature and art with bibliography so that textual research and literary criticism could supplement each other. This method goes beyond the methodology used by scholars today in compiling a poetry collection or writing a reference book for poetry appreciation.

This method can guide scholars of literary studies or historical studies when researching  comprehensive and profound issues. It is also useful to studies in other relevant disciplines.
Most of Cheng’s works are academic books that ordinary readers would have difficulty understanding. Furthermore, some of the articles collected in these books were written in ancient Chinese, which makes them even more difficult to read.

However, some of his articles raise some good questions or used remarkable methods. They are  written in an accessible way that even readers without a profound knowledge of ancient literature can understand. The problem was that, in the past, these kinds of articles were scattered and not yet compiled in one book.

Considering all this, we believe that selecting all these articles and collecting them in one volume has provided convenience to general readers. In the end, 11 articles were chosen and divided into four groups. The first group contains two speeches providing a general picture  of Cheng’s thoughts.

Cheng wrote, “Ancient literary theory contains two parts—literary theories in ancient times and the theories on ancient literature. Most scholars today focus on literary theories in ancient China. However, literary works are what ancient Chinese people really dedicated themselves to. It is necessary for us to engage with both of these.”

The second group contains general introductory articles which Cheng wrote on the theories of ancient Chinese literature. The third group includes several monographic articles. These articles focused on analyzing specific works, and some even extended to the historical development of literature. The last group contains general articles on the literary theories in ancient China. Cheng explains profound theories in simple language, and readers will find it easier to understand what the author wanted to express.

 

(edited by CHEN ALONG)