Complete Ci of Zhang Yan

张炎Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJul 2024

4.6

Word count: 2K words
Chapters: 20

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Summary

The Complete Ci Poems of Zhang Yan is a work of contemporary fiction by Zhang Yan.

Editor's review

Zhang Yan was a major ci poet of the late Song and early Yuan, whose work is known for its clear, lofty, refined and elegant quality, with attention to tonal patterns and aesthetic interest, especially excelling in poems on objects and personal reflection. This book gathers his ci poems, making it easy for readers to grasp as a whole the thematic range and stylistic character of Zhang Yan's ci. The materials label this book as contemporary fiction, which does not match the author's identity or what the title indicates; readers should regard it as a ci collection and take the actual ci texts as authoritative. In reading Zhang Yan's ci, note how his descriptions of scenery achieve spirit through sparse, understated means, how his expression of feeling emerges from a cool, restrained brush, and how he calibrates the sense of dynastic loss and personal displacement. The book serves as a companion reader for research on Song ci history and ci schools, and is also suitable for readers who enjoy the clear and lofty style of ci to keep at hand, to browse at leisure rather than read through in one sitting.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars of late Song and early Yuan ci and ci history
Enthusiasts of the clear, lofty, refined style who wish to read Zhang Yan's ci systematically
Readers needing ci texts for teaching or writing reference

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping for contemporary fiction stories
Beginners who accept only modern vernacular annotation and are unwilling to engage with classical Chinese
Those seeking light entertainment with limited interest in classical poetry

Reading tips

Read by theme, starting with poems on objects and scenery, then those of personal reflection, to appreciate changes in style.
Select several poems to read aloud repeatedly, noting the cool diction and sparse imagery, then take notes.
Read alongside the historical context of the late Song and early Yuan to understand the source of the poems' implicit feeling, without forcing hidden meanings.

About the publisher

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) China · Founded in 1901

Jinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) was a private publishing and distribution house in Shanghai during the late Qing and early Republican periods, issuing traditional works by lithographic printing. Judging from the 1,194 titles in the collection, its publishing focused on classical poetry, Eastern philosophy, historical reading, traditional Chinese medical texts, and canonical works, along with books on literary appreciation. Representative titles include the poetry and prose collections of Du Fu and Ouyang Xiu; historical works such as the Book of Han and Zizhi Tongjian; classical texts such as the Book of Documents and Mencius; and specialized and literary classics such as Treatise on Cold Damage and Li Sao. Its author resources cover major figures across the ages, including Du Fu, Ban Gu, Sima Guang, Zhang Zhongjing, Qu Yuan, Ouyang Xiu, and Tang Shenwei, reflecting the house's characteristic reliance on traditional scholarship and medical literature while serving general readers. Public information on its early history and operational details is limited, so no conjecture is offered here.

版权信息
张炎词全集
鹧鸪天
清平乐
清平乐
朝中措
阮郎归·有怀北游
浪淘沙·题陈汝朝百鹭画卷
解连环·孤雁
满庭芳·小春
高阳台·西湖春感
甘州
月下笛
梅子黄时雨·病后别罗江诸友
声声慢·题吴梦窗遗笔
长亭怨·旧居有感
祝英台近与周草窗话旧
水龙吟·白莲
绮罗香·红叶
疏影·梅影

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a ci collection?

Judging by the title and author, this book should be a gathering of Zhang Yan's ci poems, making it a ci collection. The label "contemporary fiction" does not match the author's identity; readers should rely on the actual ci texts in the book and need not expect a novel.

What are the characteristics of Zhang Yan's ci style?

Zhang Yan's ci is generally regarded as having a clear, lofty tone and refined, proper language, with attention to tonal patterns and aesthetic interest; his scenery is often rendered through sparse imagery, and his feeling tends toward the implicit and cool. Readers may note how he creates a distant, empty realm with simple, clean brushwork, and how he embeds personal displacement within poems on objects.

How should beginners approach Zhang Yan's ci?

Begin with short poems on scenery and objects, read them aloud, use annotations to clarify words, and sense the language and imagery before gradually moving to poems of personal reflection. Do not seek deep understanding at first; building a feel for the clear and lofty style is more effective.

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About the author

张炎 Author

Zhang Yan is a Song-dynasty ci poet, though public information about his life and official career is limited; his dates of birth and death, nationality, and English name are not clearly recorded in the available data. The collection contains nine works attributed to him, mainly focused on ci scholarship. These include compilations of his ci poetry such as The Complete Ci of Zhang Yan, The Ci of Zhang Yan, and Ci of the White Clouds in the Mountains, as well as the specialized study Ciyuan. These works show that his writing centers on classical poetry, especially the ci form, and also covers the organization of tonal patterns, compositional methods, and theories of creation, with a refined and restrained style that emphasizes the harmony of sound and mood. The library also classifies related material under social fiction, folk literature, culture, and philosophy, indicating that his editorial writings extend into other subjects. Zhang Yan's works on ci scholarship offer reference texts and theoretical clues for later study of Song ci and hold a certain documentary value.