Complete Ci Poems of Liu Guangzu

全宋词Jul 2024

3.5

Word count: 1.2K words
Chapters: 11

Summary

This collection is a portion of the Complete Song Ci. The ci form 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 paired as twin peaks, each representing the literature of a great historical era. According to statistics, more than 1,300 people in the Northern and Southern Song left ci works to posterity, and their total output approaches 20,000 poems! These figures alone convey the scale of composition at the time. Song ci falls mainly into two styles, the "graceful and restrained" and the "bold and unconstrained," each supremely beautiful and consummately accomplished, rich and varied.

Editor's review

This book is a thematic compilation of Liu Guangzu's ci from the Complete Song Ci, a window into the ci style of a Southern Song figure with political experience. Liu was both official and man of letters; his ci often reveal, through exchanges and personal reflection, the aspirations and sense of the times of a scholar-official, a path different from that of those known purely for ci. Extracting this portion from the Complete Song Ci lets readers concentrate on his choice of tunes, diction, and emotional expression, and compare him laterally with contemporary poets. For Song ci enthusiasts this is a way to "start from one author and return to the context of the Complete Song Ci," gaining thematic convenience without losing the coordinates of ci history. The book suits readers with some experience of Song ci who are willing to read closely and compare, not those seeking popular appreciation or an introductory overview.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers with a foundation in Song ci who want to study one Southern Song poet thematically
Literature enthusiasts interested in the relation between scholar-official ci and political aspiration
Researchers who need a poet's work list for comparative reading
General readers who like to extract one author from the Complete Song Ci for close-reading notes

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners with no exposure to Song ci who need annotation and plain-language explanation
Readers expecting popular appreciation essays or biographical stories about the poet
Readers who want a full survey of the history of Song ci in one go

Reading tips

Read through once, marking tunes and subjects, then reread by category such as exchanges and personal reflection.
Every few poems, check contemporary poets in the Complete Song Ci for lateral comparison.
Keep a simple table of tune patterns, occasions, and emotional tone for easy comparison.
Look up allusions and institutional terms as you go, rather than guessing Song contexts from modern meanings.

版权信息
洞仙歌
鹊桥仙
昭君怨
江城子
长相思
水调歌头
临江仙
踏莎行
醉落魄
沁园春

FAQ

Does this book contain all of Liu Guangzu's ci?

This is a compilation of the portion of the Complete Song Ci under Liu Guangzu's name, limited to what the Complete Song Ci records. To confirm the number and specific pieces of his surviving work, rely on the book's actual arrangement and the Complete Song Ci text, not on inferences about a "complete" scope from the introduction.

Can I read this book without any background in Song ci?

You can, but it is fairly difficult. This is a compilation of ci, not an introductory appreciation book, and lacks line-by-line plain-language explanation. First read an annotated Song ci anthology to build basic feel for the language, then take up a thematic collection; reading will be more efficient.

Does Liu Guangzu's ci belong mainly to the graceful or the bold style?

The source only says Song ci broadly has graceful and bold styles; it does not judge Liu Guangzu's personal style. Readers should observe his choice of tunes, subjects, and emotional expression in the actual pieces rather than applying a school label first, which would obscure individual works.

Is this collection suitable for research citation?

It can serve as reading text for understanding Liu Guangzu's ci, but academic citation should verify the edition, page numbers, and collation of the Complete Song Ci itself. As a thematic compilation, before citing one must confirm the source text and note the edition actually used.

Comments

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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.