The Complete Ci Poems of Yang Wanli

全宋词Nov 2025

3.3

Word count: 1.2K words
Chapters: 8

Summary

This collection is part of the Complete Song Ci. Ci began in the Southern Liang, took shape in the Tang, and reached its zenith in the Song. Tang poetry and Song ci have long been paired as twin peaks, each representing the literature of a major historical era. By one count, more than 1,300 people of the Northern and Southern Song left ci behind, and their total output approaches 20,000 pieces—a figure that conveys the scale of composition at the time. These Song ci fall mainly into two styles, the "delicate and restrained" and the "bold and unconstrained," each exquisite in its own way and each at its height, rich and varied.

Editor's review

Yang Wanli is known to the world for his poetry; his ci, though few in number, have a distinct character of their own. Edited from the Complete Song Ci, this book gathers Yang Wanli's scattered ci in one place, so that readers can see another side of this Southern Song master's writing in the long and short lines, beyond his poetic style. Yang's ci mostly carry a fresh, natural air, sharing something with the liveliness and playful wit of his poetry; they read as unpolished, yet are often ingenious. For readers already familiar with his poems in the Chengzhai Collection, this ci collection fills in the missing piece of his ci writing; for those who wish to understand the diverse landscape of Southern Song ci, it offers another voice—inside the ranks of notable masters, if not among the greatest. The book is compact, suitable as supplementary material for focused study, and also for extended reading on an author of interest after reading an anthology of the Complete Song Ci. It should be noted that this collection is an excerpt of the relevant portion of the Complete Song Ci, not an independently collated and annotated edition; readers should consult it alongside the complete collection.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Researchers who have read Yang Wanli's poetry and wish to see his ci writing
Readers interested in the overall landscape of Southern Song ci who want extended reading on a specific topic
Students of classical literature who need to search ci by author as beginners
Ordinary poetry lovers who enjoy a fresh, natural, less polished ci style

Not a good fit for

Advanced researchers seeking detailed annotations, textual collation, and dating evidence
Readers who only want an anthology of famous Song ci and do not wish to read through an author piece by piece
Beginners unfamiliar with the Southern Song literary background who need a guided, popular introduction

Reading tips

Read through once, marking pieces close to Yang Wanli's poetic style, then return to savor the differences
Read alongside the Yang Wanli portion of the Complete Song Ci, checking whether the pieces are complete and forming your own table of contents
After every few pieces, note one instance of wordcraft or syntax to build an intuitive impression of Chengzhai-style ci
Read with the relevant chapters of Southern Song literary history, placing the ci back in their historical context

版权信息
归去来兮引
念奴娇
好事近
昭君怨
武陵春
水调歌头
忆秦娥

FAQ

Does this book include all of Yang Wanli's ci?

The book is titled the complete ci of Yang Wanli, and its content is edited from the portion of the Complete Song Ci belonging to Yang Wanli. According to the source description, it is not an independently collated and annotated collection but an excerpt from a complete collection. Readers who need to confirm whether the ci are complete should check against the original Complete Song Ci, and should not judge the total number of surviving ci from this book alone.

Without annotations, will it be hard to read?

This book is a compilation of ci, and the source material does not mention annotations or appreciation. Yang Wanli's ci are relatively sparing in allusion and clear in language, so readers with some grounding in classical Chinese can read them directly; for obscure words or allusions, it is advisable to keep a dictionary of Song ci or a relevant annotated edition of the Complete Song Ci at hand.

Is it suitable for academic citation?

As an excerpt of the content of the Complete Song Ci, it can be used for everyday reading and preliminary searching, but for citation in academic writing one should check the original Complete Song Ci or an authoritative collated edition and note the edition and page numbers. The book is better suited as a portable reader for focused reading than as an independent documentary source.

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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.