Complete Ci Poems of Liu Guo
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Summary
This collection is a portion of the Complete Song Ci. Ci poetry 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 a twin summit, each representing the literature of a great historical era. According to statistics, more than 1,300 people in the Northern and Southern Song dynasties left ci works to posterity, and their total output amounts to nearly 20,000 pieces! These figures alone convey the flourishing of composition at the time. Song ci mainly falls into two styles, the "graceful and restrained" and the "bold and unconstrained," each excelling in its own beauty and reaching its own fullness, rich and varied.
Editor's review
Liu Guo was an important ci poet of the bold and unconstrained school in the Southern Song. His works mostly express his resolve to serve the country and his feelings about his own life, in a style vigorous and free, showing distinct individuality within the Xin Qiji lineage. This book extracts Liu Guo's ci from the Complete Song Ci, making it convenient for readers to understand this patriotic poet in a concentrated way. Compared with commonly available anthologies of Song ci, a complete collection devoted to a single author makes it easier to observe the author's thematic preferences, tonal habits, and stylistic evolution. The works include both stirring and tragic pieces and poems of gift exchange, social response, and lingering over scenery, through which one can see clearly the spiritual world and social network of a mid-to-lower-level literatus of the Southern Song. When reading, one should consider the political situation of the Southern Song to understand the pressures of the times behind the aspiration for "recovery" in the ci. It is suitable as extended reading for thematic study of Song ci and for researchers to consult at their desks, but it is not suitable as an introductory anthology to read straight through.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Song ci enthusiasts who have read Su Shi and Xin Qiji and want to learn about the later followers of the Xin school
- Students of ancient Chinese literature studying Southern Song ci and the bold and unconstrained school
- Readers with a thematic interest in Southern Song patriotic poetry and ci
- Deep readers who like to study a complete collection by one poet and take reading notes
Not a good fit for
- Beginners new to Song ci who need annotations and introductory guidance
- Readers who only want famous passages and light entertainment
- Researchers who need extensive collation notes and scholarly textual criticism
Reading tips
- First read the works expressing patriotic resolve and personal frustration to grasp the poet's basic tone, then read the social and occasional pieces.
- Keep an anthology of Song ci at hand for comparison, and look up unfamiliar allusions as you go, so that difficulties with wording do not interrupt your reading.
- Take notes by theme, such as patriotism, social exchange, and object description, then review the distribution of the poet's themes after finishing.
- Read alongside the history of the Southern Song from the reigns of Xiaozong to Ningzong to understand the real-world direction of the sorrow and indignation in the ci.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 沁园春
- 水调歌头
- 念奴娇
- 糖多令
- 满江红
- 谒金门
- 贺新郎
- 水龙吟
- 祝英台近
- 柳梢青
- 霜天晓角
- 辘轳金井
- 好事近
- 四字令
- 蝶恋花
- 临江仙
- 江城子
- 浣溪沙
- 满庭芳
- 西江月
- 天仙子
- 六州歌头
- 沁园春
- 八声甘州
- 四犯翦梅花
- 小桃红
- 竹香子
- 祝英台近
- 临江仙
- 鹧鸪天
- 清平乐
- 西江月
- 临江仙
- 唐多令
- 贺新郎
- 清平乐
- 西吴曲
- 行香子
- 望江南
FAQ
Does this book include all of Liu Guo's ci works?
According to the publication information, this book consists of the Liu Guo portion extracted from the Complete Song Ci, that is, a gathering of Liu Guo's ci as collected in the Complete Song Ci. It is not a new complete collection of recovered works; readers should treat the scope of the Complete Song Ci as the limit, and check doubtful works against the original book.
Without annotations and translations, will it be hard to read?
This book mainly presents the original text of the ci, with relatively limited annotation. If you are unfamiliar with Song dynasty allusions and ci tunes, it is advisable to read with an annotated anthology of Song ci or reference works, first grasping the general meaning and then savoring the wording; do not feel you must understand everything at once.
What is the relationship between Liu Guo and Xin Qiji?
Liu Guo was a Southern Song ci poet whose style was close to Xin Qiji's, and later generations often place him in the Xin school lineage. His ci mostly express the resolve to resist the Jin and serve the country and the grief of unrecognized talent, with a heroic spirit. When reading, you can compare him with Xin Qiji's ci to appreciate individual differences within the same stylistic lineage.
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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.
