Collected Remarks on Recent Ci Poetry

徐珂Bashu Publishing House · ChinaJul 2024

3.0

Word count: 6.5K words
Chapters: 2

Summary

Jinci Conghua (Notes on Recent Ci Poetry) was written by Xu Ke in the late Qing dynasty. Xu Ke (1869–1928), originally named Chang, first styled Zhongyu, later changed to Zhongke, also written Zhongke, was a native of Hangxian, Zhejiang (present-day Hangzhou). His father, Enshou, served as instructor of the Yuyao County school and was an old friend of Tan Xian. As a boy Xu Ke attended school with his father in Yuyao and delighted in parallel prose and poetry. He studied under Tan Xian, submitting his exercises in prose and verse to him for correction, and Tan Xian personally marked them. After the Wuxu coup he returned to his native place and compiled and arranged Tan Xian's discussions of ci into Futang Cihua. Xu Ke was Tan Xian's intimate disciple and deeply versed in the study of ci; yet the world of his own ci was utterly different, devoted to plain description, wholly natural, lucid and flowing, akin to that of Kuopu Tongwu and others, and representing one turn in the ci style of the late Qing. Jinci Conghua comments on the works of ci poets of the nearly three hundred years of the Qing dynasty and possesses a certain value for ci scholarship.

Editor's review

Jinci Conghua is a work of ci criticism compiled by Xu Ke in the late Qing. Xu Ke studied under Tan Xian and once arranged Tan Xian's discussions of ci into Futang Cihua; deeply versed in ci scholarship, he devoted his own ci style to plain description, wholly natural, lucid and flowing, akin to that of Kuopu Tongwu and others, representing one turn in the ci style of the late Qing. The book comments on the works of ci poets of the nearly three hundred years of the Qing dynasty and possesses value for ci scholarship. Its strength lies in offering a fairly systematic assessment of Qing ci poets from the perspective of a scholar who personally experienced the late Qing ci world, grounded in the ci scholarship inherited from Tan Xian while embodying his own lucid and natural aesthetic. For readers seeking to understand the threads of Qing ci criticism, the evolution of late Qing ci style, and Xu Ke's views on ci, the book provides firsthand material for reference. It should be read within the tradition of Qing cihua, with attention to the commentator's intellectual lineage and aesthetic preferences; the judgments in the book should not be taken as definitive.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Scholars and students of literature and history researching Qing ci scholarship and the cihua tradition
Enthusiasts interested in the evolution of late Qing ci style and Xu Ke's views on ci
Readers with some grounding in ci who wish to learn about assessments of Qing ci poets

Not a good fit for

Complete beginners with no grounding in ci encountering cihua for the first time
Readers expecting a systematic history of ci or detailed biographies of authors
Readers who want only anthologies of ci works and care nothing for commentary and criticism

Reading tips

First understand the relationship between Tan Xian and Xu Ke as teacher and disciple, then read the book; this makes it easier to grasp its critical stance and standards of judgment.
Jot down the names of the poets discussed as you read and compare them with their representative works, so as not to read the comments without the works.
Read the book alongside Futang Cihua and compare the differences in orientation between Xu Ke's compilation and his own writing.
Remain cautious about the book's judgments and cross-check with other Qing cihua to form your own conclusions.

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
近词丛话 [清] 徐珂

FAQ

Can I read this book without any grounding in ci?

Not very suitable. This is a work of cihua criticism that presupposes some familiarity with Qing ci poets and ci terminology. Readers with no background may find it hard to grasp the main points because they are unfamiliar with the poets discussed and the critical terms; it is advisable to begin with an anthology of ci or an introductory work on ci scholarship.

How does Xu Ke's background in ci scholarship affect this book?

Xu Ke studied under Tan Xian and once compiled Tan Xian's discussions of ci into Futang Cihua, so his grounding in ci scholarship was relatively deep; but his own ci style was devoted to plain description and wholly natural, not entirely the same as Tan Xian's path. The book's assessments thus bear traces of his intellectual lineage while also embodying his own lucid and flowing aesthetic; readers should note this tension.

What is the scope of the book's commentary?

According to the available information, the book comments on the works of ci poets of the nearly three hundred years of the Qing dynasty and belongs to the category of cihua on a single dynasty. It does not focus on appreciation of individual pieces but offers assessments of Qing ci poets and has a certain value for ci scholarship, making it suitable as reference material for understanding Qing ci criticism.

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About the author

徐珂 Author

Xu Ke was a modern scholar and compiler of note-based literature, though public information about his life is limited: his dates of birth and death, native place, and education are not reliably recorded. Judging from the thirty-nine works held in the collection, his editorial output centers almost entirely on the Qing bai lei chao (Classified Anecdotes of the Qing Dynasty), issued in thematic volumes covering seasons, climate, geography, scenic sites, litigation, remonstrance, admonition, satire, surnames, forms of address, customs, dialects, modesty, frugality, integrity, extravagance, chivalry, eloquence, wisdom, magnanimity, unusual endowments, bearing, and humor. Arranged by category, these volumes collect Qing anecdotes, miscellaneous records, and social minutiae, and have value both as historical sources and as note-style reading; they are often grouped under Eastern philosophy and historical reading. His concise style preserves many everyday details and words and deeds of figures absent from official histories, helping readers understand Qing social life through concrete examples and glimpse the methods and pleasures of traditional classified note compilation.