Allusions

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

4.3

Word count: 1.1K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

In Shi Lei (Categorized Examples), shi refers to established precedents or allusions, and lei means to categorize by analogy. Shi lei thus means "to categorize meaning according to precedents"—using established precedents or allusions to explain by analogy the principles to be conveyed. Liu Xie's shi lei, however, covers two aspects: first, the citation of precedents or historical facts from earlier writers in literary works; second, the quotation of sayings from earlier writers or ancient books. This scope is far broader than what is commonly called "allusion." This chapter discusses the citation of relevant categorized examples in poetry and prose.

Editor's review

This material centers on the concept of shilei and explains the usage of “classifying meaning by citing precedents” with relative clarity: shilei is not merely what later ages usually call diangu; it also includes citing precedents and historical facts from earlier generations as well as citing words from earlier people or ancient books. For writers and readers of classical poetry and prose, this distinction is quite practical, as it helps readers identify the different levels of “using events” and “citing words” in a text and understand how authors use old materials to build analogies and support meaning. This chapter discusses the problem of citing shilei in poetry and prose; it is not long, yet it offers an operational angle of observation, suitable for reference when reading parallel prose, memorials, letters, and other genres. Readers need not memorize it as an isolated definition; instead, they can read the original text with the question “is this passage citing an event or words?” and gradually appreciate the ancients’ habits of organizing materials.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Liberal arts students studying ancient literary theory and rhetorical concepts
Writers who need to distinguish between the use of diangu and cited words
Readers who want to clarify the layers of using events when reading parallel prose, memorials, and other genres
General readers interested in Liu Xie’s system of literary theory

Not a good fit for

Readers who only want story-driven content and have no interest in theoretical concepts
Beginners who need a fully annotated edition or sentence-by-sentence translation
Researchers who expect a specialized discussion of a particular writer’s technique in using diangu

Reading tips

First grasp the literal meanings of “shi” and “lei,” then understand the overall proposition of “classifying meaning by citing precedents.”
While reading, make simple notes separately for the two categories of “citing precedents and historical facts” and “citing words,” to avoid conflating them.
Pick up a passage of classical poetry or prose and mark which parts use events and which cite words, as a way to verify.
Read it alongside other related discussions by Liu Xie to understand the place of shilei within the whole body of literary theory.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
事类第三十八

FAQ

Are “shilei” and what is usually called “diangu” the same thing?

Not exactly. The material points out that shilei includes citing precedents or historical facts from earlier generations as well as citing words from earlier people or ancient books, a scope broader than what is usually called diangu. Understanding this distinction helps analyze more accurately the different ways materials are cited in classical poetry and prose.

How should “classifying meaning by citing precedents” be understood?

“Shi” refers to old examples or diangu, and “lei” means analogy or classification. Together they mean using old examples or diangu to explain by analogy the meaning to be conveyed, that is, using old materials to establish analogies and make the idea to be expressed clearer.

What practical help does this content offer for ordinary reading?

It helps readers distinguish, when reading classical poetry and prose, whether the author is using precedents and historical facts or citing earlier people’s words, so as to see the layers of argumentation and rhetoric. Reading parallel prose, memorials, and other genres with this distinction will be more reliable than vaguely calling it “using diangu.”

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About the author

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.