Taiwan Poetry Anthology
Tags
Summary
Taiwan Shi Cheng is another important document by the modern Taiwanese patriot and scholar Lian Heng, compiled after Taiwan Tong Shi to preserve Taiwan's cultural lineage and sustain the soul of the nation. The work adopts a chronological format, spanning nearly five hundred years from the late Ming and early Qing to the late Qing and early Republic, and systematically collects over a thousand poems by more than two hundred poets, covering groups such as officials and literati who traveled to Taiwan, local worthies, and patriotic figures, while also including works by Taiwanese poets and mainland literati with ties to Taiwan. The work preserves and corroborates history through poetry; its poems are closely tied to Taiwan's historical changes, depicting island scenery and folk life while also recording major events such as the Zheng regime's governance of Taiwan, Qing administration, and the resistance against the cession of Taiwan. It fully presents the course of Taiwan's poetry circles carrying on the tradition of classical Chinese poetry and demonstrates the author's sincere commitment to national integrity and the preservation of collective memory under Japanese colonial rule.
Editor's review
Taiwan Shi Cheng is an anthology that preserves history through poetry, not an ordinary collection of poetry talks. Lian Heng uses a chronological format, spanning nearly five hundred years from the late Ming and early Qing to the late Qing and early Republic, and collects over a thousand poems by more than two hundred poets, including officials and literati who traveled to Taiwan, local worthies, and patriotic figures, as well as works by Taiwanese poets and mainland literati with ties to Taiwan. Its strength lies in "corroborating history through poetry": island scenery and folk life form the backdrop, while major events—the Zheng regime's governance of Taiwan, Qing administration, and the resistance against the cession of Taiwan—leave concrete, tangible traces in the poems. Reading this book, one sees both the transmission of classical Chinese poetry in Taiwan and Lian Heng's sincerity in upholding national integrity and preserving collective memory during the Japanese occupation. It is suitable for reading alongside Taiwan Tong Shi, with history as the framework and poetry as the detail; and also as an introductory anthology of classical Taiwanese poetry, to be read slowly in chronological order, pausing where historical events arise.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Readers who love classical poetry and wish to learn about Taiwan's poetry circles
- Scholars of Taiwan literary history and local documents
- Readers who wish to corroborate history through poetry and aid their understanding of Taiwan history
- Readers concerned with the national integrity and patriotic feeling of modern literati
Not a good fit for
- Readers interested only in modern or contemporary poetry
- Beginners expecting detailed annotations and vernacular translation for every poem
- Readers lacking patience for chronological format and classical Chinese poetry
Reading tips
- Read through in chronological order, checking the historical background of each period to clarify the correspondence between poetry and history.
- First read closely the poems related to the Zheng regime's governance, Qing administration, and the resistance against the cession of Taiwan, then fill in the sections on scenery and folk customs.
- Read alongside Taiwan Tong Shi, seeking corresponding poems for major events to appreciate the method of corroborating history through poetry.
- Note each poet's native place and identity, observing the different perspectives of officials and literati, local worthies, and patriotic figures.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 序
- 题词
- 卷一
- 卷二
- 卷三
- 卷四
- 卷五
- 卷六
FAQ
Is Taiwan Shi Cheng a collection of poetry talks or an anthology of poems?
According to the materials, it adopts a chronological format and systematically collects over a thousand poems by more than two hundred poets, focusing on selecting poems to preserve history rather than evaluating poetic craft. Lian Heng's purpose was to preserve and corroborate history through poetry, so poems should be read within their historical context rather than judged one by one for technical skill.
Which groups of poets are included?
According to the materials, it covers groups such as officials and literati who traveled to Taiwan, local worthies, and patriotic figures, as well as works by Taiwanese poets and mainland literati with ties to Taiwan. When reading, note how different groups wrote about the same historical events; this reveals the full picture of the poetry circles and the blending of cultural lineages better than reading a single author.
With a span of nearly five hundred years, how can I read without losing the thread?
It is suggested to use chronology as the warp and historical events as the weft. First establish the broad framework from the late Ming and early Qing to the late Qing and early Republic, then read in segments by nodes such as the Zheng regime's governance, Qing administration, and the resistance against the cession of Taiwan, interspersing poems on scenery and folk customs as relief, so as not to lose focus by plowing straight through.
Can I read it directly without a foundation in Taiwan Tong Shi?
Yes, but it works better in conjunction. Taiwan Shi Cheng corroborates history through poetry; without familiarity with the historical background, the deeper meaning of the poems is easily missed. It is advisable to keep a copy of Taiwan Tong Shi or a concise chronological table of Taiwan history at hand, checking the background when encountering poems about major events, which will make the reading much smoother.
Related on WeRead
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
Lian Heng
Author · Chinese · 1878–1936
Lian Heng (1878–1936), courtesy name Yatang and style name Jianhua, was a modern Chinese historian and poet. His ancestral home was Longxi in Zhangzhou, Fujian, and he was born in Tainan, Taiwan. Over ten years he completed The General History of Taiwan, the first comprehensive history of Taiwan, for which he has been called the Grand Historian of Taiwan. His other works include A Dictionary of the Taiwanese Language and Taiwan Poetry Collections, spanning history, poetry, and language studies. His writing is noted for solid use of historical sources and rigorous structure, and his work was pioneering in the writing and preservation of Taiwan's history. Twenty-three of his works are held in this collection, mostly different editions and volumes of The General History of Taiwan, along with history, classical poetry, and literary appreciation, showing how his writings have been read and transmitted.
