History of Poetry

蔡居厚Jun 2024

3.5

Word count: 34K words
Chapters: 6

Summary

Cai Juhou (dates unknown), courtesy name Kuanfu, was a native of Lin'an (present-day Hangzhou, Zhejiang). He was the son of Censor Yanxi. He passed the imperial examination as a jinshi and rose to the post of Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel. He has biographies in the Song Shi, the Song Shi Xinbian, and the Beisong Jingfu Nianbiao.

Editor's review

Cai Juhou was a jinshi of the Northern Song and once served as Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel. His Shishi (Poetry History) is a work in the form of shihua that records anecdotes about poets, the occasions behind poems, and critical evaluations. This new edition is included in the "Essence of Chinese Classics: Original Texts" series, preserving the appearance of the original book and focusing on preserving and transmitting traditional thought and culture. The value of such books lies not in constructing grand theories but in providing concrete, detailed background material for poetry: why a poem was written, how a line became known, and what contemporaries said about it are often found in entries of this notebook kind. Readers can see the immediacy with which Song people discussed poetry and can supplement the context for understanding related poems. Because biographical material on the author is limited, readers should rely on what the book itself records rather than overattaching themselves to the author's biography. It is suitable as collateral reading for classical poetry, to be browsed at leisure and followed up when one encounters a poet or poem of interest.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers of classical poetry who want to know the occasions and anecdotes behind poems
Lovers of Song literature interested in shihua and notebook literature
Researchers in literature and history who need miscellaneous records of Northern Song poetry circles
Readers who enjoy fragmented reading that can be picked up and put down at will

Not a good fit for

Readers expecting systematic poetic theory and a rigorous system
Researchers who need detailed biographies of the author and textual research on historical background
Beginners who prefer modern vernacular interpretation and are unaccustomed to classical Chinese notebooks

Reading tips

Read it as a notebook of shihua, a few entries at a time; when encountering a familiar poet or poem, pause to compare it with the original poem.
Note the information on time, persons, and occasions in the entries, which can be used to piece together scattered traces of Northern Song poetry circles.
Do not rush to judge the truth of doubtful records; consult relevant historical sources or other shihua for comparison.

版权信息
宋诗话辑佚
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FAQ

Is Shishi a book recording the history of poetic development?

It is not a strict history of poetry. It is closer to a notebook of shihua, recording anecdotes about poets, the occasions behind poems, and critical evaluations; the entries do not necessarily form a systematic historical narrative, so readers should not approach it with the expectations of a general history textbook.

Is much biographical material available on the author Cai Juhou?

There is relatively little. It is known that he was a native of Lin'an, courtesy name Kuanfu, son of the censor Cai Yanxi; he passed the jinshi examination and rose to Vice Director of the Ministry of Personnel, and related records appear in the Song Shi and other works. When reading his book, one should rely mainly on the text itself rather than overdepending on the author's biography.

What is the difference between this book and Shiren Yuxie?

Shiren Yuxie is a general collection of shihua in which Wei Qingzhi classified and compiled remarks on poetry by various authors, and its arrangement is relatively orderly; Shishi is Cai Juhou's own notebook-style work, leaning toward recording anecdotes and evaluations, with more scattered entries. The two can be read together for reference.

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About the author

蔡居厚 Author

Cai Juhou is a name encountered in traditional Chinese writings on poetry criticism and historical commentary. Publicly available information about his life is limited: his dates of birth and death, native place, and official career are all unknown and cannot be verified. The library holds two of his works, the representative titles being Shishi (Poetry History) and Shishi (Poetry History, 3 volumes). Judging from the titles and the common classifications, his writings span historical reading and classical poetry, and mostly take the form of remarks on poets and poems in the manner of shihua and anecdotal records, together with notes on events in the poetic world. They reflect an approach that uses poetry to preserve history and uses history to discuss poetry. Such writing emphasizes the collection of materials and the tracing of sources and development; its style is concise and has the character of miscellaneous notes, helping readers see events through poetry and understand people through events. It offers reference value for understanding the critical tradition of classical poetry and the method of mutual corroboration between literature and history. Because the loss of the original texts and their textual transmission still require verification, this introduction offers only an objective summary based on extant records.