Summoning Yang Zhifu

Han YuThe Commercial Press · ChinaJun 2024

3.9

Word count: 10K words
Chapters: 50

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Summary

One of the poems by the Tang dynasty poet Han Yu.

Editor's review

"Summoning Yang Zhiyu" is one of Han Yu's poems, circulated through a photocopy reprint of the original edition published by the Commercial Press in the Republican period. Han Yu excelled at writing poetry with prose methods and with force of character; this piece, among poems of gift and reply, conveys the intention of summoning a friend and the poet's own aspirations. It is not long, and its syntax is well ordered, offering a glimpse of the literary exchanges among mid-Tang literati and the poetic style of a pioneer of the Ancient Prose Movement. The photocopy of the original edition preserves the old typesetting layout and character usage, providing material reference value for textual research and for understanding the state of ancient book organization during the Republican period. When reading, one should combine Han Yu's life with the background of the mid-Tang examination system and the幕府 (mufu, provincial secretariat) system in order to appreciate the measure of encouragement and expectation in the poem. It is suitable as close-reading material for a single piece of Han Yu's poetry and prose, and can also be used in classical literature classes for annotation and appreciation exercises. Because the original edition is in traditional characters and old-style typesetting, with variant and abbreviated forms among the characters, first-time readers need reference books and collated annotated editions for comparison.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical literature learners studying Han Yu's poetry and prose who need close-reading material for a single piece
Collectors interested in Republican-period photocopy reprints of ancient books and their textual appearance
Chinese department teachers and students using it as auxiliary reading for annotation, appreciation, and classroom discussion
General readers interested in mid-Tang literati exchanges and poems of gift and reply

Not a good fit for

Beginner readers hoping for vernacular translations or detailed modern annotations
Readers unaccustomed to traditional characters and old-style typesetting who need simplified horizontal text
Readers seeking a complete collection of Han Yu's poetry and prose or a systematic anthology

Reading tips

First read through once, mark difficult characters and words, then consult reference books to resolve them one by one.
Combine Han Yu's life with the mid-Tang examination and mufu background to understand the intention of summoning.
Read alongside Han Yu's other poems of gift and reply to compare his syntax and allusive habits.
The photocopy edition should be read together with a collated annotated edition, paying attention to variant characters and old-style punctuation.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

"Republic-era Commercial Press Original Editions" refers to original books printed by The Commercial Press during the Republican period, not a separate publishing house. Judging from the 300 titles held in the collection, its publishing focus centers on classical poetry and lyrics, literary appreciation, classic works, military texts, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy. Representative titles include Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, Zhong Rong's Shipin, the lyric collections of Xin Qiji and Liu Yong, Sun Wu's The Art of War, and Lü Buwei's Xianshi Lan. Its author resources are mainly classical writers, together with modern scholars such as Li Jingbang and Guo Huaruo, whose collations and annotations are also represented, giving the list a character centered on original texts while attending to annotation and appreciation. Public information on the precise Republican-era catalog and printings is limited; this overview is based only on the titles held in the collection.

版权信息
【赠郑兵曹】韩愈
【桃源图】韩愈
【东方半明】韩愈
【赠唐衢】韩愈
【贞女峡（在连州桂阳县，秦时有女子化石在东岸穴中）】韩愈
【赠侯喜】韩愈
【古意】韩愈
【八月十五夜赠张功曹】韩愈
【谒衡岳庙遂宿岳寺题门楼】韩愈
【岣嵝山】韩愈
【永贞行】韩愈
【洞庭湖阻风赠张十一署（时自阳山徙掾江陵）】韩愈
【李花赠张十一署（或作李有花）】韩愈
【杏花】韩愈
【感春四首】韩愈
【寒食日出游】韩愈
【忆昨行和张十一】韩愈
卷三百三十九
【刘生诗】韩愈
【郑群赠簟】韩愈
【丰陵行（顺宗陵也，在富平县东北三十里）】韩愈
【游青龙寺赠崔大补阙（寺在京城南门之东）】韩愈
【赠崔立之评事（崔斯立，字立之，博陵人）】韩愈
【送区弘南归】韩愈
【三星行】韩愈
【剥啄行】韩愈
【青青水中蒲三首】韩愈
【孟东野失子】韩愈
【陆浑山火和皇甫湜用其韵（湜时为陆浑尉）】韩愈
【县斋读书（在阳山作）】韩愈
【新竹】韩愈
【晚菊】韩愈
【落齿】韩愈
【哭杨兵部凝陆歙州参】韩愈
【苦寒】韩愈
【和虞部卢四酬翰林钱七赤藤杖歌（元和四年作）】韩愈
【崔十六少府摄伊阳，以诗及书见投，因酬三十韵】韩愈
【送侯参谋赴河中幕（侯继时从王谔辟）】韩愈
【东都遇春】韩愈
【感春五首（分司东都作）】韩愈
【酬裴十六功曹巡府西驿途中见寄】韩愈
【燕河南府秀才得生字】韩愈
【送李翱】韩愈
【送石洪处士赴河阳幕得起字】韩愈
【送湖南李正字归】韩愈
卷三百四十
【辛卯年雪】韩愈
【醉留东野】韩愈
【李花二首】韩愈

FAQ

Which of Han Yu's works does this book collect?

According to the materials, this book is a single-piece photocopy reprint of Han Yu's poem "Summoning Yang Zhiyu," from the original edition published by the Commercial Press in the Republican period. It is not a complete collection or systematic anthology of Han Yu's poetry and prose, and readers should not expect to read other works by Han Yu in it.

Is the photocopy of the original edition difficult to read?

The original edition is old-style typeset, with many traditional and variant characters, and its punctuation differs from modern usage. Readers with some grounding in classical Chinese can read it directly; beginners are advised to keep a dictionary at hand and consult modern collated annotated editions for comparison to reduce difficulty.

What background knowledge is needed to read this poem?

It is helpful to understand the mid-Tang period in which Han Yu lived, the custom of examinations and mufu recruitment of literati, and Han Yu's creative characteristics of writing poetry with prose methods and emphasizing force of character. With this background, one can appreciate the measure of encouragement and expectation in the poem.

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About the author

Han Yu Author · China

Han Yu (768–824), courtesy name Tuizhi, was a native of Heyang, Henan (present-day Mengzhou, Henan), with his ancestral home in Changli, hence known as Han Changli. A Tang dynasty writer, thinker and statesman, he championed the Classical Prose Movement, opposed the ornate style of parallel prose, and advocated that writing should convey the Way. He is ranked first among the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song and, together with Liu Zongyuan, is known as "Han and Liu," exerting a profound influence on later prose. His works span argumentative essays and landscape and lyrical poetry, marked by a vigorous, striking style. The collection holds 26 of his works, including the three-volume Annotated Collected Works of Han Changli (simplified edition), Collected Works of Han Yu and Han Yu's Collected Works (2 volumes), as well as poems such as "Spring Snow," "Late Spring," "Early Spring" and "Sixteen Poems on a Visit to the South of the City," and he also appears in Selected Works of the Eight Great Prose Masters: Han Yu.