| Chinese Poetry |
Article Index for Chinese |
Website Links For Chinese |
Information AboutChinese Poetry |
|
Chinese poetry can be divided into three main periods: the early period, characterised by Folk Song s in simple, repetitive forms; the classical period from the Han Dynasty to the fall of the Qing Dynasty , in which a number of different forms were developed; and the modern period of Western ised Free Verse . EARLY POETRY The Shi Jing (literally "Classic of Poetry", also called "Book of Songs") was the first major collection of Chinese poems, collecting both aristocratic poems (Odes) and more rustic poetry, probably derived from folksongs (Songs). A second, more lyrical and romantic anthology was the Chu Ci (楚辭 Songs of Chu), made up primarily of poems ascribed to the semilegendary Qu Yuan (ca. 340 - 278 B.C. ) and his follower Song Yu (fourth century B.C.). CLASSICAL POETRY During the 》, or "Poetical Essay in Praise of the Qin". From the Han Dynasty onwards, a process similar to the origins of the Shi Jing produced the '' Yue Fu '' poems. Again, these were song lyrics, including original Folk Song s, court imitations and versions by known Poet s (the best known of the latter being those of Li Bai ). From the Second Century AD, the ''yue fu'' began to develop into '' Shi '' or classical poetry- the form which was to dominate Chinese poetry until the modern era. These poems have five or seven character lines, with a Caesura before the last three characters of each line. They are divided into the original '' Gushi '' (old poems) and '' Jintishi '', a stricter form developed in the Tang dynasty with rules governing tone patterns and the structure of the content. The greatest writers of ''gushi'' and ''jintishi'' are often held to be Li Bai and Du Fu respectively. Towards the end of the Tang dynasty, the '' Ci '' lyric became more popular. Most closely associated with the Song Dynasty , ''ci'' most often expressed feelings of desire, often in an adopted persona, but the greatest exponents of the form (such as Li Houzhu and Su Shi ) used it to address a wide range of topics. As the ''ci'' gradually became more literary and artificial after Song times, the ''san qu'', a freer form, based on new popular songs, developed. The use of ''san qu'' songs in Drama marked an important step in the development of vernacular literature. LATER CLASSICAL POETRY After the and more complete archiving vastly increased the volume of work to consider and made it difficult to identify and properly evaluate those good pieces which were produced. Finally, this period saw the rise of Vernacular Literature , particularly Drama and Novel s, which increasingly became the main means of cultural expression. MODERN POETRY Modern Chinese poems (新詩, ''vers libre'') usually do not follow any prescribed pattern. Poetry was revolutionized after the May Fourth Movement when writers try to use vernacular styles closer to what was being spoken rather than previously prescribed forms. Early twentieth-century poets like Xu Zhimo , Guo Moruo and Wen Yiduo sought to break Chinese poetry from past conventions by adopting Western models; for example Xu consciously follows the style of the Romantic Poets with end-rhymes. In the post-revolutionary Communist era, poets like Ai Qing used more liberal running lines and direct diction, which were vastly popular and widely imitated. In the contemporary poetic scene, the most important and influential poets are the group known as Misty Poets , who use allusion and hermetic references. The most important Misty Poets include Bei Dao , Gu Cheng , Duo Duo , and Yang Lian were all exiled after the Tiananmen Square Protests Of 1989 . SEE ALSO
REFERENCES
FURTHER READING
EXTERNAL LINKS
|
|
|