Complete Ci Poems of Yang Yanzheng

全宋词Jul 2024

Rating 3.4

Word count: 3.7K words
Chapters: 22

Summary

This collection is a portion of the Complete Song Ci. Ci began in the Southern Liang, took shape in the Tang, and reached its height in the Song. Tang poetry and Song ci have long been acclaimed as twin peaks, each representing the literature of a great historical era. According to statistics, more than 1,300 people of the Northern and Southern Song left ci works to posterity, and their total output amounts to nearly 20,000 pieces! These figures alone convey the scale of composition at the time. Song ci mainly falls into two styles, the "delicate and restrained" and the "bold and unconstrained," each excelling in its own beauty and reaching its own fullness, rich and varied.

Editor's review

Yang Yanzheng was a Southern Song ci poet who associated and exchanged verses with Xin Qiji; his style is close to the Xin school, often treating personal vicissitudes and concern for nation and family, vigorous yet fine. This book extracts Yang Yanzheng's ci from the Complete Song Ci; it is modest in length and well suited to concentrated study of a minor poet's complete profile. The single-author format lets readers observe his habitual tunes, choice of imagery, and emotional trajectory, and also glimpse the social circles and inner lives of mid- and lower-ranking Southern Song literati. To general readers Yang Yanzheng is not a familiar name, and the book's value lies precisely in offering a "non-canonical" sample that helps illuminate the broader ecology of Song ci's flourishing. It is best read alongside Xin Qiji and contemporary poets, noting stylistic echoes within their exchanges. Suitable for thematic study of Song ci, not as a first introductory book.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Song ci enthusiasts interested in the Xin-school poets and minor Southern Song ci writers
Ancient literature students studying Southern Song ci social circles and verse exchanges
Experienced readers familiar with major Song ci poets who wish to broaden their reading
Readers who prefer moderate length and a single poet's work readable in one sitting

Not a good fit for

Beginners new to Song ci who need detailed annotations and translations
General readers interested only in famous works by Su Shi, Li Qingzhao, and other major poets
Researchers expecting detailed collation, chronological biography, and scholarly textual criticism

Reading tips

Read through once to grasp the overall profile, then focus closely on works related to verse exchanges with Xin Qiji.
Note recurring imagery and moods as you read, and summarize the stylistic features afterward.
Read in comparison with Xin Qiji's ci to the same tunes, and observe how Xin-school poets each reveal distinct faces in their exchanges.
The length is modest; read it in two or three sessions, writing a few brief comments after each to build your own judgment.

版权信息
水调歌头
满江红
瑞鹤仙
贺新郎
念奴娇
洞仙歌
鹊桥仙
蝶恋花
千秋岁
玉人歌
点绛唇
秦楼月
浣溪沙
桃源忆故人
踏莎行
减字木兰花
生查子
柳梢青
相见欢
诉衷情
满江红

FAQ

Yang Yanzheng is an unfamiliar name. Is he worth reading?

Though not a major Song ci poet, Yang Yanzheng associated and exchanged verses with Xin Qiji, and his style is close to the Xin school. The value of reading minor poets lies in seeing the broader ecology of Song ci's flourishing and understanding writing practice beyond the famous names. If you already know the major Song ci poets, this book is a suitable choice for broadening your reading.

What is the relationship between this book and the Complete Song Ci?

According to publication information, this book consists of the Yang Yanzheng portion extracted from the Complete Song Ci—that is, it presents the Yang Yanzheng ci collection as contained in the Complete Song Ci. It is not a newly compiled collection of rediscovered works; its scope follows the Complete Song Ci, and you can return to the original for verification.

What preparation is needed before reading this collection?

It is advisable first to have basic knowledge of Song ci prosody and to understand common tunes and the historical background of the Southern Song. Keep an annotated anthology of Song ci and a reference work on literary allusions at hand, and look up unfamiliar words and allusions promptly; reading will be much smoother.

This site is an index: you start “Search all sources” in your browser, and the entries it lists all point to third-party sites; please judge their availability yourself.

About the author

全宋词 Author

Quan Song Ci (Complete Song Ci) is not a single ci poet but the compiler name used for the dynastic anthology of Song ci; this site lists 114 works under that author entry. Public information is limited, so no personal biography can be confirmed. The titles indicate edited collections of individual Song poets, including complete ci by major figures such as Xin Qiji and Li Qingzhao, as well as works by Chao Buzhi, Zhang Lei, Chen Shidao, Liu Kezhuang, Jiang Kui, and Liu Chenweng from various periods of the Song. These editions generally aim to preserve, collate, recover, and annotate the surviving ci, keeping the original character of the texts while making each poet's works accessible for reading and for research on themes, tonal patterns, and stylistic change. The series reflects the philological approach of dynastic compilations and serves as a bridge between popular access to classical texts and scholarly study of ci, and is commonly classified under ancient poetry.