Poetic Remarks in the Human World

Wang GuoweiTianjin People's Publishing House · ChinaAug 2014

4.6

Word count: 50K words
Chapters: 31

Summary

Poetic Remarks in the Human World is a work of literary criticism by Wang Guowei, a renowned master of Chinese studies. After receiving the influence of Western aesthetic thought, he appraises China's old literature with fresh eyes. On the surface, its style and format show no marked difference from the traditional shihua and cihua, the established genres of poetry and ci-poetry criticism in China. In fact, however, it already embodies a preliminary theoretical system. Among classical works of poetry criticism it deserves to be counted as one of the very few outstanding ones, and in the field of ci criticism many have regarded its arguments as the standard, taking them as the basis for the study of ci poetry and aesthetics, with far-reaching influence. It is one of the most influential works since the late Qing dynasty.

Editor's review

Poetry in the Human World (Renjian Cihua) is the representative work of Wang Guowei, a master of Chinese classical studies, and a landmark in the history of modern Chinese literary criticism. Though brief, this collection of remarks on ci poetry builds a distinctive and profound theoretical system around the concept of "jingjie" (aesthetic realm). Wang Guowei, learned in both Chinese and Western scholarship, not only grasped the essence of classical Chinese literature but also creatively introduced Western aesthetic ideas from Schopenhauer and Kant to evaluate the ci poets and their works from the Tang, Five Dynasties, and Song periods. His comments on Li Yu, Su Shi, Xin Qiji, Qin Guan, and others hit the mark in just a few words, revealing the artistic vitality of their works.

The value of this book extends far beyond the study of ci poetry. The refined concepts it proposes—"created realm" versus "written realm," "the realm with a self" versus "the realm without a self," and "separation" versus "non-separation"—have profoundly influenced later literary theory and aesthetics. Reading this book is not only a lesson in how to appreciate classical poetry but also a philosophical inquiry into life, emotion, and artistic realms. Wang Guowei's prose is concise and elegant, his insights original, and he often gives readers a sudden sense of illumination. For modern readers, quietly reading Poetry in the Human World amid a fast-paced life is like obtaining a key to the hall of classical Chinese aesthetics, greatly enhancing one's aesthetic taste and literary cultivation.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Enthusiasts with a strong interest in classical Chinese poetry and literary theory
Readers who wish to systematically improve their poetry appreciation and aesthetic cultivation
Students and researchers in Chinese literature or related fields
Readers who love traditional culture and seek spiritual nourishment and peace of mind

Not a good fit for

Readers looking for light, entertaining stories or modern fiction
Those completely unfamiliar with classical Chinese and uninterested in exploring it

Reading tips

On a first reading, go through the whole text without insisting on full comprehension; focus on experiencing Wang Guowei's critical eye and the beauty of his prose
It is recommended to read alongside the original classical ci poems mentioned in the book to better appreciate the precision of his commentary
Some basic familiarity with Schopenhauer's philosophical ideas will help in understanding the Western intellectual origins of the "jingjie" theory

About the publisher

Tianjin People's Publishing House China · Founded in 1950

Tianjin People's Publishing House publishes across such fields as classic works, foreign literature, architecture, social culture and social sciences, with 749 relevant titles in the collection. In the areas of classics and scholarship, works such as Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua and Fei Xiaotong's From the Soil and Fertility and Reproduction reflect a sustained attention to social culture and classic texts of thought. Architectural books are represented by Liang Sicheng's Annotated Yingzao Fashi and A History of Chinese Architecture, showing an emphasis on architectural heritage and building traditions. In foreign literature, translations of Sholokhov's And Quiet Flows the Don and Tolstoy's War and Peace and The Death of Ivan Ilyich, through the work of translators such as Li Gang and Yu Dawei, form a substantial series of translated works. Overall, the press combines classic texts, scholarly works and fine translations, with a publishing character oriented toward humanistic depth and the dissemination of knowledge.

版权信息
目录
公版书总序
自是浮生无可说，人间第一耽离别——王国维
满目天涯，西风瘦尽阳关彻——《人间词话》
正文
第一章
第二章
第三章
第四章
第五章
第六章
第七章
第八章
第九章
第十章
第十一章
第十二章
第十三章
如是我闻
一、词的起源及宋词简述
二、著名词牌名及由来
三、名人评王国维
四、浅析《人间词话》中的人生三境界
五、诗词中常用意象
六、王国维所推崇的词人
七、著名词话
八、词人与名妓
九、曾因诗词而获罪的文人
十、王国维自杀之谜
十一、《人间词话》手稿

FAQ

What is Poetry in the Human World about? Is it suitable for readers with no grounding in classical Chinese?

The core of the book is Wang Guowei's evaluation and theoretical summation of ci poets and their works across the dynasties, using "jingjie" as his criterion. The main text is in classical Chinese, but the style is concise, and most editions include detailed annotations and translations. With some patience and the help of supplementary materials, readers without a deep foundation in classical Chinese can still grasp its essential ideas.

What exactly does the "jingjie" theory in this book mean?

"Jingjie" is the core of Wang Guowei's theory of ci poetry. He holds that ci poetry is supreme when it has jingjie. Where there is jingjie, the work naturally attains a high style and contains memorable lines. "Jingjie" encompasses multiple dimensions—the fusion of feeling and scene, artistic truth, and reflections on life—and is both an aesthetic standard and a creative ideal. The book further distinguishes between "created realm" and "written realm," "the realm with a self" and "the realm without a self," and so on, forming a highly refined system.

Which edition or publisher of Poetry in the Human World is better?

There are many editions on the market. When choosing, consider the following: first, whether the annotations are detailed and accurate; second, whether the edition includes the complete contents of Poetry in the Human World (including deleted drafts and appendices); third, whether it includes an introduction or collation by an authoritative scholar. Editions compiled and annotated by experts in classical literature are generally more reliable and offer better reading support.

Comments

Find this book

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

Wang Guowei Author · Chinese · 1877–1927

Wang Guowei (1877–1927), courtesy name Jing'an and style name Guantang, was a native of Haining, Zhejiang, and a leading modern Chinese scholar. In his early years he studied Western philosophy and aesthetics and wrote Renjian Cihua (Human Words on Ci), which assesses ci poetry of past dynasties through the concept of jingjie (aesthetic realm) and touches on literary appreciation and classical verse; he also wrote A History of Song and Yuan Drama, breaking new ground in folk literature and drama studies. He later devoted himself to oracle bone script, bronze inscriptions, Han bamboo slips, and the textual criticism of ancient history, proposing the method of "dual evidence," and served as a tutor at the Tsinghua Institute of Sinology. His scholarship spanned literature, philosophy, and history, and his rigorous, insightful writing has had a profound influence. In 1927 he drowned himself in Kunming Lake at the Summer Palace. The library holds 75 of his works, including Wang Guowei on Dream of the Red Chamber.