The Airs of Wang

AnonymousBashu Publishing House · ChinaJun 2024

2.7

Word count: 929 words
Chapters: 12

Summary

"Wang Feng" is one of the fifteen "Airs of the States" in the Classic of Poetry, comprising ten poems. The Classic of Poetry is the first anthology of poetry in Chinese literary history. It had a profound influence on the development of later poetry and became the source of the realist tradition in classical literature.

Editor's review

Wang Feng is one of the fifteen "Airs of the States" in the Classic of Poetry, comprising ten poems, most of which describe the social upheaval and reflections on life during the decline of the Zhou royal house after King Ping moved east. This edition, published by Bashu Publishing House, makes it convenient for readers to read this regional song unit as a whole. Its value lies in revealing the large through the small: from themes such as garrison duty, parting, and longing for home, one can glimpse popular sentiment and the mentality of the shi class amid the political changes of the early Spring and Autumn period; the language is plain but the feeling is deep. When reading, compare it with the Ya and Song sections to appreciate the characteristics of the Airs in narrative and lyric expression, and use the annotations to understand names, objects, ritual customs, and rhyme. It is suitable as an entry point for focused study of the Classic of Poetry, or for classical literature enthusiasts to savor at leisure; it allows one to feel the realist spirit at the source of poetry and also provides a basis for understanding the bi and xing traditions of later poetry.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Classical literature readers who wish to study the Airs of the States in the Classic of Poetry topically
History enthusiasts concerned with pre-Qin society and ritual customs who want to draw on the poems
Students who need close-reading texts to supplement university courses in ancient literature
General readers who like short lyric poems and are willing to read annotations slowly

Not a good fit for

Casual readers expecting modern vernacular stories or plot-driven narrative
Those entirely unwilling to engage with annotations and requiring a very low threshold for reading the original text

Reading tips

First read the ten poems through, mark unfamiliar words and names of things, then return to the annotations.
After each poem, summarize the scene and mood in your own words, and compare the different ways the theme of upheaval is written.
Choose two poems and read them alongside related pieces in the Minor Ya, to appreciate the difference in tone between the Airs and the Ya.
Reading aloud can help you feel the rhythm and rhyme; there is no need to finish at one sitting—savoring it in several sessions is better.

About the publisher

Bashu Publishing House China · Founded in 1983

Bashu Publishing House is a publisher centered on collating and publishing classical Chinese cultural texts, with its main publishing areas covering classical literature, Eastern philosophy, ancient poetry, and educational classics. Its library currently holds 1,075 titles, including representative works such as Dream of the Red Chamber, the Preface to the Orchid Pavilion Gathering, Renjian Cihua, and Out to the Frontier, involving authors such as Cao Xueqin, Wang Xizhi, Wang Guowei, Wang Changling, Liu Xie, and Yan Yu. These reflect the publisher's focus on literary classics, poetry criticism, and philosophical readings. Its publishing character lies in working around ancient texts and canonical works, with attention to textual collation and presentation. Public information on its more detailed publishing background and series plans is limited; this introduction is based only on the library's book information.

版权信息
序
黍离
君子于役
君子阳阳
扬之水
中谷有蓷
兔爰
葛藟
采葛
大车
丘中有麻

FAQ

Wang Feng has only ten poems; is it suitable to buy and read on its own?

Yes. Ten poems are not long, and they allow concentrated appreciation of the themes and style of a single regional unit; if you want a systematic understanding of the Classic of Poetry, you can pair it with other Airs of the States or with selections from the Ya and Song.

Can I read this without a foundation in classical Chinese?

You can try, but you will need annotations and reference tools. It is best to read the annotations first to clarify words and background, then read the original; there is no need to memorize names of things and ritual customs—grasping the emotion and scene is enough.

What should I focus on when reading Wang Feng?

You can focus on the upheaval, garrison duty, and longing for home against the background of the Zhou royal house's decline, as well as the plain lyric manner and bi and xing techniques of the Airs, and note their connection to later poetic traditions.

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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.