Written at Random

AnonymousJinzhang Book Company (Jinzhang Shuju) · ChinaJun 2024

2.8

Word count: 3K words
Chapters: 48

Report an error Find this book

Summary

Man Zuo is one of the works of the Song dynasty poet Li Gongming

Editor's review

Man Zuo is a work by the Song dynasty poet Li Gongming, issued here by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company, offering readers convenient access to this less commonly encountered Song poem. The title Man Zuo itself carries the sense of casual writing and improvised expression, suited to being understood through the Song poetic tradition of everyday, personal composition. For ordinary readers, the value of this book lies not in providing a systematic poetry collection but in presenting a sample of Song poetry open to close reading: one may begin with language rhythm, imagery, and emotional expression to appreciate how Song poetry opened a path distinct from Tang poetry. While reading, there is no need to rush to inquire into the author's life or compositional background; sources are limited, and excessive pursuit of hidden meanings can easily lead away from the text. It is better treated as a short poem to be savored slowly, read alongside general knowledge of Song literati life and poetics. If used for classroom teaching or a reading group, discussion can center on the title Man Zuo and the relationship between improvised writing and careful composition, or the poem can be read against contemporary Song poetry anthologies to sense different poets' linguistic habits.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers interested in Song poetry who wish to encounter works by non-major poets
Teachers who need a sample of Song poetry for classroom explanation or reading group discussion
Ordinary readers who enjoy close reading of short poems and are willing to appreciate poetic meaning from within the text
Researchers and enthusiasts collecting scattered works by Song dynasty poets

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting a systematic understanding of Li Gongming's entire oeuvre or life
Beginning readers hoping for detailed annotations, vernacular translation, and appreciation
Readers who prefer long narrative or plot-driven works

Reading tips

First read the whole poem twice, marking rhythmic pauses and key images, then savor the shifts in tone line by line.
Read with general knowledge of Song literati daily life and poetics, avoiding over-reading into the author's biography.
Compare with works in contemporary Song poetry anthologies to see how different poets handle improvised subjects.
If used for teaching, have students discuss the relationship between improvisation and craft around the title Man Zuo.

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
【枫桥】张祜
卷511_164【句】张祜
卷512_1【答李昌期】杨洵美
卷512_2【宫词】长孙翱
卷512_3【和于中丞登越王楼见寄】卢求
卷512_4【雨】欧阳衮
卷512_5【田家】欧阳衮
卷512_6【神光寺】欧阳衮
卷512_7【和项斯游头陀寺上方】欧阳衮
卷512_8【秦原道中】欧阳衮
卷512_9【月峰寺忆理公】欧阳衮
卷512_10【寄陈去疾进士】欧阳衮
卷512_11【听郢客歌阳春白雪】欧阳衮
卷512_12【南涧寺】欧阳衮
卷513_1【献岁书情】裴夷直
卷513_2【奉和大梁相公重九日军中宴会之什】裴夷直
卷513_3【奉和大梁相公同张员外重九日宴集】裴夷直
卷513_4【同乐天中秋夜洛河玩月二首】裴夷直
卷513_5【和邢郎中病中重阳强游乐游原】裴夷直
卷513_6【观淬龙泉剑】裴夷直
卷513_7【春色满皇州】裴夷直
卷513_8【亚夫碎玉斗（一作裴次元诗）】裴夷直
卷513_9【水亭】裴夷直
卷513_10【扬州寄诸子】裴夷直
卷513_11【酬卢郎中游寺见招不遇】裴夷直
卷513_12【寓言】裴夷直
卷513_13【唁人丧侍儿】裴夷直
卷513_14【席上夜别张主簿】裴夷直
卷513_15【方丈泉】裴夷直
卷513_16【晚望】裴夷直
卷513_17【前山】裴夷直
卷513_18【发交州日留题解炼师房】裴夷直
卷513_19【令和州买松】裴夷直
卷513_20【题断金集后（一作令狐楚诗）】裴夷直
卷513_21【晚凉】裴夷直
卷513_22【和周侍御洛城雪】裴夷直
卷513_23【奉和大梁相公送人二首】裴夷直
卷513_24【酬唐仁烈相别后喜阻风未发见寄】裴夷直
卷513_25【秦中卧病思归】裴夷直
卷513_26【送王缋】裴夷直
卷513_27【赠美人琴弦】裴夷直
卷513_28【病中知皇子陂荷花盛发寄王缋】裴夷直
卷513_29【戏唐仁烈（一作岁日先把屠苏酒戏唐仁烈）】裴夷直
卷513_30【上下七盘二首】裴夷直
卷513_31【八月十五日夜】裴夷直
卷513_32【南诏朱藤杖】裴夷直
卷513_33【夜意】裴夷直

FAQ

Is Man Zuo a poetry collection or a single poem?

Based on available information, Man Zuo is a single poem by the Song dynasty poet Li Gongming, presented here in an edition issued by Shanghai Jinzhang Book Company. It is not a systematic collection containing multiple works; readers should not expect a table of contents and divisions as in a poetry collection, but should read it as a single poem.

Can I read this book without knowing Song poetry?

Yes, but it requires a little patience. It is advisable to read the text through first, sensing the language rhythm and imagery, then use general knowledge of Song literature to aid understanding. There is no need to pursue word-by-word accuracy from the start; build an overall impression first, then return to difficult passages, and the reading pressure will be much lighter.

Should I look up the author Li Gongming's life while reading?

You may, but do not rely on it excessively. Available information on Li Gongming is limited; if too much effort is spent tracing his life, it is easy to neglect the poem itself. A safer approach is to center on the text, treating biographical information as background reference and using it only when directly relevant to the lines.

Is this book suitable for reading group discussion?

Yes. The poem is short, making it easy for participants to read beforehand. Discussion can center on the title Man Zuo, talking about the relationship between improvised writing and careful composition, or comparing different understandings of the same line. Organizers should preferably prepare some general knowledge of Song poetry to help keep discussion focused on 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

Anonymous Author

Anonymous is not a real personal name but a general Chinese designation for authors whose names are unknown, lost, or unsigned. Neither nationality nor dates of birth and death can be verified, and available public information is limited, so the works attributed to this name are the only basis for description. The collection holds 2,078 works under Anonymous, spanning medicine, classics, historical readings, ancient poetry, classical literature, and philosophy. Representative works include The Yellow Emperor's Inner Canon: Lingshu, Mencius, The Book of Documents, Nineteen Old Poems, Complete Song Ci, and The Peacock Flies Southeast. Most of these works took shape through long transmission and editing, emerging either from collective folk creation or from authors whose names were lost over time. In ancient China, the Book of Songs, the Great Learning, and many popular storybooks and plays were signed Anonymous because their authors could not be traced. Anonymous works cross the classics, histories, philosophical writings, medical texts, and poetry; their subjects are broad, and their styles vary from archaic simplicity to clear naturalness, making them important and influential sources for understanding ancient Chinese thought, medicine, and literature.