Complete Poems of Shu Yuanyu

全唐诗Apr 2024

3.7

Word count: 1.3K words
Chapters: 7

Summary

This poetry collection is part of the Complete Tang Poems (Quan Tang Shi). Compiled by imperial order during the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty by Peng Dingqiu, Yang Zhongne, Shen Sanzeng, Pan Conglü, Xu Shuben, Che Dingjin, Wang Yi, Zha Sichen, Yu Mei and others, with Cao Yin overseeing the final printing, it not only fully reflects the flourishing of Tang poetry but also serves as important material for studying the history, culture and education of the Tang dynasty.

Editor's review

Shu Yuanyu's surviving poems are few, and this collection extracts them from the Complete Tang Poems to provide readers with a convenient entry point for reading his works together. As a thematic extract from the Complete Tang Poems, its value lies first in the reliability of its textual source: the base text compiled by imperial order in the Kangxi reign by Peng Dingqiu and more than ten others, with Cao Yin overseeing the printing, ensures the authority and collation basis of the text. Shu Yuanyu was skilled in both poetry and prose; his poetic style has a distinctive profile in the late Tang, and although few pieces survive, one can glimpse the spiritual world and the atmosphere of the age of a Tang literatus. This book is suitable as supplementary material for thematic reading of Tang poetry and makes it easy for literary researchers to locate relevant works. While reading, it is advisable to combine the overall framework of the Complete Tang Poems with Tang historical sources to understand the historical context behind the poems; at the same time, note the difference between collected and reconstructed texts and a complete separate collection, and do not regard it as the sole basis for comprehensive research. For general readers, this is a light reader of Tang poetry; for professional readers, it is more like a convenient textual slice for retrieval.

Who it's for

A good fit for

General readers with a preliminary interest in Tang literature who wish to expand their reading
Scholars engaged in Tang poetry research who need to consult Shu Yuanyu's works in one place
Teachers and students in university courses on ancient literature who need thematic materials
Readers who like reading by poet and prefer short poetry collections

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting complete collation and annotation, detailed notes and in-depth introductions
Researchers hoping to read all of Shu Yuanyu's poetry and prose (including prose and fu)
Beginning readers who prefer strongly plot-driven, popular-interpretation Tang poetry books

Reading tips

First read through, mark rare characters, words and allusions, then use reference works to work through each piece.
Read against the original volume order of the Complete Tang Poems to understand the position and scale of this poet's works in the overall collection.
Combine with historical background material on the Tang to understand the poems in the social context of the late Tang.
After reading, write brief notes recording the most striking images or expressions to form your own reading thread.

版权信息
八月五日中部官舍读唐历天宝已来追怆故事
坊州按狱
桥山怀古
坊州按狱苏氏庄记室二贤自鄜州走马，寂寞因成诗寄之
履春冰
赠李翱

FAQ

Is this book a complete separate collection of Shu Yuanyu?

No. This book is a separate presentation of the Shu Yuanyu poetry section of the Complete Tang Poems, mainly collecting his poems; it is not a complete separate collection covering poetry, prose and fu, and it contains no collation, annotation or collected commentary.

What is the background of the compilation of the Complete Tang Poems?

The Complete Tang Poems was compiled by imperial order in the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty by Peng Dingqiu, Yang Zhongne and more than ten others, with Cao Yin overseeing the printing. It fully reflects the flourishing of Tang poetry and is important material for studying the history, culture and education of the Tang dynasty.

Without annotations, can general readers read it?

They can, but they need reference works. The poems contain many allusions and rare characters and words; it is advisable to use a dictionary of classical Chinese or reference works on Tang poetry appreciation. The reading threshold is moderate.

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About the author

全唐诗 Author

"Quan Tang Shi" is not the name of an individual poet, but a comprehensive anthology of Tang poetry compiled during the Kangxi reign of the Qing dynasty. The attribution "Quan Tang Shi" actually stands for the group of editors behind this large imperially commissioned work. The anthology gathers a vast range of Tang poems, generally including all poets whose works survive, and the 287 items in this collection derive from it, comprising the complete works of poets such as Wang Wei, Li Bai, Li Shangyin, Du Mu, Chen Zi'ang, Cui Hao, Zhang Jiuling, and Bai Juyi. In subject and style, these works cover landscape and pastoral verse, frontier and military themes, historical reflection, and farewell and occasional poetry, offering a fairly complete picture of Tang poetry. Public information about the individual editors is limited; nevertheless, for its breadth and documentary value, the anthology has long been regarded as an important foundation for studying Tang poetry and for literary appreciation.