Poetry Collection of Returning to Antiquity

杨维桢Jun 2024

3.8

Word count: 8.1K words
Chapters: 9

Summary

The poetic forms of our dynasty are complete in every style, save that the old yuefu has been set aside and not practiced. Since the Tianli era, Mr. Yang of Kuaiji and Mr. Li of Wufeng first began to compose yuefu poems in mutual response. The Master once said: poetry is difficult, and yuefu is especially difficult. In writing old yuefu I do not merely seek harmony with metal and stone; there is in them that which may encourage and that which may warn, that which makes men take heed and feel stirred. He who matched me well was Li Jihe alone; after Jihe's death, few have matched them. He moreover commanded Wu Fu to record all the poems composed after Jihe's death, and to burn them in white before his grave. Thus those in the world who know the Master's poetry are indeed few. Wan entered the Iron Gate to study poetry, and therefore compiled two hundred poems made by the Master before and after, together with the three hundred compiled by Wu Fu, and named it The Master Iron Cliff's Retrospective Poetry Collection. With the appearance of this collection, the poetry of our dynasty is greatly complete. Alas! Red and purple confuse vermilion, and the songs of Zheng and Wei confuse the elegant. To be born in a declining age and yet wish to write poetry in the ancient manner, to surpass Qi and Liang, to trace back to Han and Wei, and to press upward to the Sao and Ya—this is to uphold the true color amid red and purple, to play the Shao and Hu in the midst of Zheng and Wei. Is it not difficult indeed! This is why the Master's work is called retrospective and is not something the men of the present age can rank with. Poets north and south alike honor him as the master of poetry for a generation; this is not Wan's word, but the word of all under heaven. The Master did not allow his regulated verse and later styles to be transmitted, yet they are relished in men's mouths, and there are those that cannot be omitted; these are recorded at the end of the volume, and the Xianglian and other styles are likewise appended. Written respectfully by his disciple Zhang Wan, born of Longzhou, on the wu zi day, ninth month of autumn, twenty-fourth year of Zhizheng, jiachen.

Editor's review

The Retrospective Poetry Collection is a gateway to understanding Yang Weizhen's views on old yuefu. Zhang Wan's preface makes the circumstances of compilation very clear: Yang Weizhen and Li Jihe composed old yuefu in mutual response; after Jihe's death, few matched them, and so Yang compiled two hundred poems made before and after, which together with Wu Fu's compilation came to three hundred, entitled "The Master Iron Cliff's Retrospective Poetry Collection." The preface repeatedly stresses that "poetry is difficult, and yuefu is especially difficult," and says that old yuefu not only harmonizes with metal and stone but can encourage and warn, making men take heed and feel stirred. This precisely points out that Yang Weizhen's retrospective approach is not a imitation of form, but a use of the old yuefu form to carry the power of moral instruction and stirring. For those accustomed to regulated verse, this collection opens another rhythm: lines of uneven length, archaic diction, and sound and feeling running alongside argument. In reading, one may first read the preface to grasp the problematic of "retrospection," then choose several poems to read alongside Han and Wei yuefu, to appreciate how Yang Weizhen upheld the true color and played the Shao and Hu amid red and purple and Zheng and Wei. It suits readers willing to read slowly and look up allusions, not those seeking light reading or merely wanting to know anecdotes about the poet.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Lovers of classical poetry who want to understand the character of Yang Weizhen's old yuefu
Students of Yuan and Ming poetic history who need primary material on the Tieya style
Advanced readers who enjoy yuefu poetry and are willing to read slowly and look up allusions
Chinese majors using it as a comparative text for retrospective poetics

Not a good fit for

General readers seeking light entertainment
Beginners completely unfamiliar with old yuefu syntax and allusions
Those who only want a quick look at anecdotes about Yang Weizhen's life

Reading tips

First read Zhang Wan's preface, marking key sentences such as "poetry is difficult, and yuefu is especially difficult," to clarify the retrospective position.
Choose three to five poems and read them alongside Han and Wei yuefu on the same or similar topics, comparing syntax and intent.
Keep a notebook, jotting down rare words and sources of allusions as you go, organizing after each poem.
After finishing, summarize in two hundred words the relationship between Yang Weizhen's "retrospection" and "moral instruction and stirring."

版权信息
复古诗集
复古诗集叙
铁崖先生复古诗集卷之二
铁崖先生复古诗集卷之二
铁崖先生复古诗集卷之三
铁崖先生复古诗集卷之四
铁崖先生复古诗集卷之五
铁崖先生复古诗集卷之六

FAQ

What exactly does "retrospection" in the Retrospective Poetry Collection refer to?

According to the preface, the antiquity Yang Weizhen returns to points mainly to the old yuefu tradition. He was not satisfied with the regulated verse approaches of his time, and composed old yuefu in mutual response with Li Jihe, seeking harmony with metal and stone, the power to encourage and warn, and to make men take heed and feel stirred. The preface says "to wish to write poetry in the ancient manner, to surpass Qi and Liang, to trace back to Han and Wei, and to press upward to the Sao and Ya," showing that his retrospection goes back to the Han, Wei, Sao, and Ya, using the ancient form to restore poetry's power of stirring and moral instruction.

Can I read this collection without any foundation in yuefu?

You can try, but you need to be prepared to read slowly. Old yuefu has uneven line lengths, archaic diction, and frequent allusions; without any experience reading yuefu, you may easily get stuck at the level of words. It is advisable to first read the preface to grasp the overall position, then start with shorter pieces, using annotations and anthologies of Han and Wei yuefu for comparison, gradually adapting to its rhythm and diction; it is not advisable to read the whole collection straight through from the start.

Why is Zhang Wan's preface worth reading first?

The preface explains the circumstances of compilation, the sources of the contents, and Yang Weizhen's poetic views; it is the key to entering the collection. Phrases such as "poetry is difficult, and yuefu is especially difficult" and "not merely harmony with metal and stone, but the power to encourage and warn" directly state Yang Weizhen's purpose and standard in writing old yuefu. Reading the preface first, then the poems, makes it less easy to mistake "retrospection" for mere imitation of form, and helps grasp the intent of stirring and moral instruction.

How does this collection differ from Yang Weizhen's other poems?

According to the preface, this collection is devoted specifically to old yuefu: Zhang Wan compiled two hundred poems made by Yang Weizhen before and after, which together with Wu Fu's compilation came to three hundred, entitled "The Master Iron Cliff's Retrospective Poetry Collection." The preface also mentions that the Master did not allow his regulated verse and later styles to be transmitted, but those relished by people are recorded at the end of the volume, and the Xianglian and other styles are likewise appended. Thus this collection takes old yuefu as its main body, and differs from other regulated verse or Xianglian works in both form and editorial intent.

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About the author

杨维桢 Author

Yang Weizhen was an important literary figure of the Yuan dynasty. Public information about his life and official career is limited, yet his extant works still reveal the character of his writing. The collection includes five of his works: Dongwei Zi Ji, Yang Weizhen Ji, Tieya Ancient Yuefu, Lize Yiyin, and Fugu Shiji, covering prose collections, poetry, yuefu, and works in ancient styles. He is known for his ancient-style yuefu and his revivalist poetic style, marked by bold, ornate language and a rich use of imagination and allusion, which gave him a distinctive place in Yuan poetry and influenced later poetic trends in the Wu region and the Ming dynasty. His works are often grouped under classics, ancient poetry, literary appreciation, and Eastern philosophy, and serve both as material for studying his poetic achievements and as reading for understanding the Yuan dynasty's literary revivalism.