Sent to Zhang Ji

孟郊Bashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

4.0

Word count: 4.9K words
Chapters: 47

Summary

"To Zhang Ji" is one of the poems by the Tang dynasty poet Meng Jiao. Meng Jiao (751–814) was a Tang dynasty poet, courtesy name Dongye, of Han ethnicity, a native of Wukang in Huzhou (present-day Deqing, Zhejiang), with ancestral roots in Pingchang (northeast of present-day Linyi, Shandong) and forebears who lived in Luoyang (present-day Henan). He was a famous poet of the Tang dynasty.

Editor's review

Meng Jiao's "To Zhang Ji" unfolds as a poem sent to a friend; it does not lay out elaborate parallel phrasing but gathers concern for the friend and reflection on his own circumstances into concise lines, embodying the clear and austere quality of Meng Jiao's style, restrained in both diction and feeling. The 2024 collated edition from Bashu Press gives readers direct access to the original poem and serves as a good entry point for understanding Meng Jiao's friendships and the sensibilities of mid-Tang literati. When reading, first establish who the poem is addressed to and why it was written, then appreciate the shift from remembering the friend to speaking of himself. It does not rely on story for its appeal and is better read slowly, line by line, in quiet; it can also be read alongside Meng Jiao's other poems of dedication and personal reflection to sense the restraint and force of his emotional expression.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Tang poetry readers interested in mid-Tang poets' friendships and poems of dedication
Those who have read Meng Jiao's representative poems and want to know more about his dedication-themed works
Readers who enjoy close reading of short poems and are willing to trace emotional shifts line by line
Students in university classical literature courses who need supplementary reading materials

Not a good fit for

Readers seeking detailed biographical information about Zhang Ji from the poem
Readers who prefer brisk narrative or rich scene description
Beginners who rely entirely on vernacular paraphrase and are unwilling to engage with the original text

Reading tips

First establish the dedicatory nature of "To Zhang Ji," then read the main text, noting how the poet moves from the other person back to himself
Mark the points of emotional change line by line and appreciate the weight of Meng Jiao's restrained language
Find related poems by Zhang Ji to read alongside, sensing differences in tone among mid-Tang literati's dedicatory exchanges
After reading, summarize the poem's feeling in two or three sentences, then look back to see whether any turns were missed

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
卷三百七十七
【西上经灵宝观（观即尹真人旧宅）】孟郊
【泛黄河】孟郊
【往河阳宿峡陵，寄李侍御】孟郊
【鸦路溪行，呈陆中丞】孟郊
【独宿岘首忆长安故人】孟郊
【自商行谒复州卢使君虔】孟郊
【梦泽中行】孟郊
【京山行】孟郊
【旅次湘沅有怀灵均】孟郊
【过彭泽】孟郊
【过分水岭（一作东岭）】孟郊
【分水岭别夜示从弟寂（一作示于孟叔）】孟郊
【连州吟】孟郊
【旅行】孟郊
【上河阳李大夫】孟郊
【投赠张端公（一作赠裴枢端公）】孟郊
【赠苏州韦郎中使君】孟郊
【上张徐州】孟郊
【上包祭酒】孟郊
【赠别崔纯亮】孟郊
【赠文应上人（一作赠高僧）】孟郊
【严河南】孟郊
【赠李观（观初登第）】孟郊
【吴安西馆赠从弟楚客】孟郊
【赠章仇将军】孟郊
【赠道月上人】孟郊
【抒情因上郎中二十二叔监察十五叔兼呈李益端公柳缜评事】孟郊
【赠城郭道士】孟郊
【桐庐山中赠李明府】孟郊
【献汉南樊尚书】孟郊
【赠转运陆中丞】孟郊
【赠万年陆郎中】孟郊
【擢第后东归书怀，献座主吕侍御】孟郊
【古意赠梁肃补阙】孟郊
【赠黔府王中丞楚】孟郊
【上达奚舍人】孟郊
【赠主人】孟郊
【赠建业契公】孟郊
【献襄阳于大夫】孟郊
【赠郑夫子鲂】孟郊
【大隐坊?崔从事郧以直隳职】孟郊
【大隐坊?章仇将军良弃功守贫（一作赠章仇兵马使）】孟郊
【大隐坊?赵记室俶在职无事】孟郊
【赠韩郎中愈】孟郊
【戏赠无本】孟郊

FAQ

Can I understand this poem without knowing Zhang Ji?

Yes. The core of a dedicatory poem is the poet's feeling for his friend and his self-reflection; you do not need Zhang Ji's full biography to enter it. Knowing that the two were both mid-Tang poets and were acquainted is enough, and the specific relationship can be supplemented by the book's introduction or notes, with the focus still on how the emotion advances in the poem.

How is Meng Jiao's style reflected in this poem?

The language is concise and the emotional expression restrained, without expansive description; instead, longing for the friend and self-pity are held within a limited span of lines, which is one manifestation of Meng Jiao's clear and austere style. When reading, do not rush to look for famous lines; note instead the tightening and shifting of feeling between lines.

Is this poem suitable for classroom shared reading?

It is suitable as short shared reading material. The poem is not long, making it easy to discuss line by line in class the addressee, the layers of feeling, and the precision of diction. Teachers can first have students read on their own and summarize the feeling, then supplement the background of Meng Jiao's friendships, so that background does not overwhelm close reading of the text.

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

孟郊 Author

Meng Jiao was a Tang dynasty poet. Publicly available information about his life, including dates of birth and death and place of origin, is limited, and the library holds eight of his works. Pieces such as "Seeing Han Yu Off to Join the Army" and "Sent to Zhang Ji" show that he had dealings with literati of his time, and his poems often center on farewells, messages to friends, and reflections on daily life. Works such as "Shengsheng Pavilion," "Presented to the Host amid the Snow at Yimen," and "Harmonizing with Vice Minister Qian's Sweet Dew" deal with pavilions, snow scenes, and poetic exchanges, revealing attention to specific situations and objects. His works are classified under ancient poetry, Eastern philosophy, and culture. His language is plain and concise, his feelings deep, and he excels at conveying a sense of personal circumstance and reflection on life through unadorned narration. Meng Jiao's poetic style has a distinct character in the history of classical Chinese poetry and has exerted some influence on later writers, but the library's materials are limited, and his detailed biography and the dating of his works require further investigation.