Complete Ci Poems of Li Chuquan
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Summary
This collection is part of the Complete Song Ci. Ci began in the Southern Liang, took shape in the Tang, and reached its height in the Song. Tang poetry and Song ci have long been regarded as twin peaks, each representing the literature of a major historical era. According to statistics, more than 1,300 writers of ci in the Northern and Southern Song have left works to posterity, and the total number of their works is nearly 20,000! These figures alone suggest the flourishing state of composition at the time. Song ci can be divided mainly into two styles, the "graceful and restrained" and the "bold and unconstrained," each excelling in its own beauty and attaining its own richness.
Editor's review
Li Chuquan was a ci poet of the Southern Song, and his works are preserved in the Complete Song Ci. This book extracts his works separately for the convenience of concentrated reading. For lovers of Song ci, this kind of individual collection has a practical advantage: it allows one to read all the surviving works of a single poet in one volume and more easily discern his habitual ci patterns, common themes, and emotional tone, without repeatedly searching through the entire Complete Song Ci. Li Chuquan's reputation as a ci poet is not as illustrious as that of Su Shi or Xin Qiji; precisely for this reason, reading him is more like a "journey of discovery," filling in the intermediate layer of ci poets so easily overlooked in the reading of Song ci. This book reproduces the original text without annotation or appreciation, so readers should have reference works at hand and look up allusions as they encounter them. Reading it alongside the historical background of the Southern Song and the works of contemporary poets will yield more concrete gains.
Who it's for
A good fit for
- Enthusiasts who wish to read systematically the works of minor and mid-level ci poets of the Southern Song and broaden their reading of Song ci
- Students of ancient Chinese literature who need to consult the original text of Li Chuquan's ci for specialized research
- Readers of classical poetry who like to read through poets one by one and take reading notes
- Readers who need or collect anthologies extracted from the Complete Song Ci
Not a good fit for
- Beginners to Song ci who need annotations, translation, and appreciation as aids
- General readers who only want famous works by major poets and have little interest in minor and mid-level ci poets
- Readers seeking a systematic exposition of ci theory rather than original works
Reading tips
- First browse the table of contents and the distribution of ci patterns to see which patterns Li Chuquan commonly used, then read selected pieces closely.
- Prepare a dictionary of common characters in ancient Chinese and consult and mark rare characters and allusions as you encounter them.
- Read Li Chuquan's ci in comparison with works by famous poets of the same period to appreciate the levels and differences within Southern Song ci circles.
- After reading a few poems each time, write two or three sentences of reflection, recording the most striking images or emotions for later review.
Contents
- 版权信息
- 水调歌头
- 满江红
- 临江仙
- 念奴娇
- 满庭芳
- 鹧鸪天（社日落成烟雨楼，二首）
- 柳梢青
- 朝中措
- 菩萨蛮
- 浣溪沙
- 西江月
- 生查子
- 减字木兰花
- 相见欢
- 江城子
- 阮郎归
- 忆秦娥
- 好事近
- 蓦山溪
- 卜算子
- 诉衷情
- 醉蓬莱
- 贺新郎
- 四和香
- 玉楼春
- 南乡子
FAQ
What is Li Chuquan's place in the history of Song ci?
Li Chuquan was a ci poet of the Southern Song, and his works are included in the Complete Song Ci. His reputation as a ci poet is not as illustrious as that of masters such as Su Shi and Xin Qiji; he belongs to the minor and mid-level ci poets often overlooked in the reading of Song ci. The value of this book lies precisely in giving readers convenient access to the complete surviving works of such a poet.
How many of Li Chuquan's ci are included in this book?
This book is an extract of Li Chuquan's ci from the Complete Song Ci; the exact contents are those actually included in the book. Readers are advised to look first at the table of contents after obtaining the book to understand the scope of inclusion and the distribution of ci patterns, and then arrange their reading order.
What background is needed to read this book?
Basic classical Chinese reading ability is needed, with the help of reference works to understand common words and allusions. If you have previously read some anthologies of Song ci and have a preliminary understanding of ci patterns and prosody, reading will be smoother; readers with no foundation are advised to start with annotated anthologies of Song ci.
What books can be read alongside this one?
You may use the original Complete Song Ci to check the contents, use annotated anthologies of Song ci to understand the meaning of the poems, and consult works on Southern Song literary history or general studies of ci to understand the ci circles of Li Chuquan's time, forming an understanding from the particular to the general.
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About the author
全宋词
Author
Quan Song Ci (Complete Song Ci) is not a single ci poet but the compiler name used for the dynastic anthology of Song ci; this site lists 114 works under that author entry. Public information is limited, so no personal biography can be confirmed. The titles indicate edited collections of individual Song poets, including complete ci by major figures such as Xin Qiji and Li Qingzhao, as well as works by Chao Buzhi, Zhang Lei, Chen Shidao, Liu Kezhuang, Jiang Kui, and Liu Chenweng from various periods of the Song. These editions generally aim to preserve, collate, recover, and annotate the surviving ci, keeping the original character of the texts while making each poet's works accessible for reading and for research on themes, tonal patterns, and stylistic change. The series reflects the philological approach of dynastic compilations and serves as a bridge between popular access to classical texts and scholarly study of ci, and is commonly classified under ancient poetry.
