The Complete Poems of Liu Shenxu

全唐诗Apr 2024

3.9

Word count: 1.3K words
Chapters: 17

Summary

This poetry collection is part of the Complete Tang Poems. It was compiled by imperial order during the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty by Peng Dingqiu, Yang Zhongne, Shen Sanzeng, Pan Conglü, Xu Shuben, Che Dingjin, Wang Yi, Zha Sichen, Yu Mei, and others, with Cao Yin finally in charge of the printing arrangements. It not only comprehensively reflects the flourishing scene of Tang poetry but also serves as important material for studying Tang history, culture, and education.

Editor's review

Liu Shenxu was not a prominent poet in the Tang dynasty and only a limited number of his poems survive, yet pieces such as "Que Ti" are repeatedly cited in later poetry talks. This book gathers into one volume the works attributed to Liu Shenxu in the Complete Tang Poems, saving readers the trouble of searching through a vast general anthology and directly helping them understand this High Tang poet's social circle, his delight in mountains and waters, and his clear five-character verse. Its value lies not in offering newly discovered documents but in presenting in one place scattered pieces buried in a general anthology, making them easy to read through and compare. It is suitable as supplementary reading for thematic study of Tang poetry and convenient for researchers checking the source text. When reading, one should compare it with the original Complete Tang Poems, pay attention to issues of collected fragments and cross-attribution, and not use this popular edition as a definitive collated text.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Literature lovers interested in marginal High Tang poets who want to read through his surviving poems
University students doing thematic research on Tang poetry who need concentrated access to Liu Shenxu's works
Readers who enjoy clear five-character landscape verse and are willing to seek out minor poets beyond general anthologies
Primary and secondary school language teachers preparing supplementary Tang poems for class

Not a good fit for

Beginners expecting detailed annotations, vernacular translations, and appreciation
Researchers needing authoritative collation, version comparison, and scholarly textual criticism
General readers who only want famous pieces by masters such as Li Bai and Du Fu

Reading tips

First read through all the poems, mark unusual characters or unclear allusions, then consult reference works to resolve them.
Read alongside the original Complete Tang Poems by volume, noting small notes under titles and cross-attribution remarks.
Choose representative pieces such as "Que Ti" and read them repeatedly to appreciate their clear, subtle, and distant language style.
After reading, write a short note recording clues about Liu Shenxu's associations with poets of his time.

版权信息
江南曲
九日送人
暮秋扬子江寄孟浩然
浔阳陶氏别业
登庐山峰顶寺
寻东溪还湖中作
送韩平兼寄郭微
寄阎防，防时在终南丰德寺读书
海上诗送薛文学归海东
越中问海客
阙题
寄江滔求孟六遗文
积雪为小山
赠乔琳
茙葵花歌
句

FAQ

Does this book collect all of Liu Shenxu's poems?

This book extracts works attributed to Liu Shenxu based on the Complete Tang Poems and is essentially a split-off or collated reprint from a general anthology. Because the Complete Tang Poems itself contains cross-attributions and misattributions, the so-called "complete collection" refers only to what that anthology includes and is not equal to a definitive edition based on comprehensive collection of scattered works; readers should keep this in mind.

There are no annotations. What if I can't understand it?

You can first use reference works such as the Hanyu Da Cidian to resolve characters and words, then consult Tang poetry appreciation books for background. If your purpose is research, use it together with the original Complete Tang Poems and collation notes; if you are only reading for appreciation, start with shorter pieces with clear imagery.

Is it suitable for Tang poetry research?

It can serve as an introductory guide for looking up Liu Shenxu's works, but it does not replace authoritative critical editions. For questions of variant readings, authenticity, and dating, you still need to check the source text of the Complete Tang Poems and later collation results; this book is better suited for quickly locating pieces and preliminary reading.

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About the author

全唐诗 Author

"Quan Tang Shi" is not the name of an individual poet, but a comprehensive anthology of Tang poetry compiled during the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty. The attribution "Quan Tang Shi" actually stands for the group of editors behind this large imperially commissioned work. The anthology gathers a vast range of Tang poems, generally including all poets whose works survive, and the 287 items in this collection derive from it, comprising the complete works of poets such as Wang Wei, Li Bai, Li Shangyin, Du Mu, Chen Zi'ang, Cui Hao, Zhang Jiuling, and Bai Juyi. In subject and style, these works cover landscape and pastoral verse, frontier and military themes, historical reflection, and farewell and occasional poetry, offering a fairly complete picture of Tang poetry. Public information about the individual editors is limited; nevertheless, for its breadth and documentary value, the anthology has long been regarded as an important foundation for studying Tang poetry and for literary appreciation.