Dispelling Gloom

梅尧臣The Commercial Press · ChinaJul 2024

3.5

Word count: 6.9K words
Chapters: 49

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Summary

One of the poems by Mei Yaochen, a renowned realist poet of the Northern Song dynasty.

Editor's review

Mei Yaochen was a major representative of the realist poetic style of the Northern Song, known for his plain and unadorned manner and his skill at lodging deep reflections on life in everyday subjects. Though brief, "Shi Men" typically embodies the poet's way of writing to dispel the gloom in his heart, weaving personal feeling and the temper of the age into spare, clean lines. This edition is a facsimile or collated reprint of the original Commercial Press (Shanghai) publication from the Republican period, preserving the typographic character of old publications and carrying some value for textual reference. For readers concerned with the development of Song poetry and with Mei Yaochen's poetic style rather than mere anthologized selections, this single text can serve as close-reading material for appreciating the linguistic interest of Song poetry in its turn from Tang modes to Song modes. It may be read alongside background on the Northern Song literary reform, with attention to the measured restraint of emotion and diction in the poem. Suitable as supplementary reading for thematic study of classical poetry, not as a first choice for beginners.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Students and researchers of premodern Chinese literature studying Song poetry
Lovers of classical poetry interested in Mei Yaochen's realist style
Collectors of old editions interested in Republican-era Commercial Press imprints
Secondary-school Chinese teachers needing close-reading material for a single Song poem

Not a good fit for

Readers hoping to read Mei Yaochen's complete works systematically
Beginners preferring narrative or popular explication of classical poetry
Readers expecting detailed annotations and vernacular translation

Reading tips

Read the original poem twice through to grasp the overall emotional tone before weighing the wording line by line.
Read against other representative works by Mei Yaochen to appreciate the consistency of his plain style.
Consult background on the Northern Song literary reform to understand the period sources of the poem's sense of pent-up feeling.
After reading, try retelling the poem's sense in your own words to test whether you have truly understood it.

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

"Republic-era Commercial Press Original Editions" refers to original books printed by The Commercial Press during the Republican period, not a separate publishing house. Judging from the 300 titles held in the collection, its publishing focus centers on classical poetry and lyrics, literary appreciation, classic works, military texts, prose and miscellaneous writings, and Eastern philosophy. Representative titles include Wang Guowei's Renjian Cihua, Zhong Rong's Shipin, the lyric collections of Xin Qiji and Liu Yong, Sun Wu's The Art of War, and Lü Buwei's Xianshi Lan. Its author resources are mainly classical writers, together with modern scholars such as Li Jingbang and Guo Huaruo, whose collations and annotations are also represented, giving the list a character centered on original texts while attending to annotation and appreciation. Public information on the precise Republican-era catalog and printings is limited; this overview is based only on the titles held in the collection.

版权信息
【溪涨】杜甫
【戏赠友二首】杜甫
【遭田父泥饮美严中丞】杜甫
【喜雨】杜甫
【渔阳】杜甫
【天边行】杜甫
【大麦行】杜甫
【苦战行】杜甫
【去秋行】杜甫
【述古三首】杜甫
卷二百二十
【观打鱼歌】杜甫
【又观打鱼】杜甫
【越王楼歌（太宗子越王贞为绵州刺史，作台于州城西北）】杜甫
【海棕行】杜甫
【姜楚公画角鹰歌】杜甫
【相逢歌赠严二别驾（一作严别驾相逢歌）】杜甫
【光禄坂行】杜甫
【冬到金华山观，因得故拾遗陈公学堂遗迹】杜甫
【陈拾遗故宅（宅在射洪县东七里东武山下）】杜甫
【谒文公上方】杜甫
【奉赠射洪李四丈（明甫）】杜甫
【早发射洪县南途中作】杜甫
【通泉驿南去通泉县十五里山水作】杜甫
【过郭代公故宅】杜甫
【观薛稷少保书画壁】杜甫
【通泉县署屋壁后薛少保画鹤】杜甫
【陪王侍御同登东山最高顶宴姚通泉，晚携酒泛江】杜甫
【春日戏题恼郝使君兄】杜甫
【短歌行，赠王郎司直】杜甫
【短歌行，送祁录事归合州，因寄苏使君】杜甫
【陪章留后惠义寺饯嘉州崔都督赴州】杜甫
【将适吴楚，留别章使君留后，兼幕府诸公，得柳字】杜甫
【山寺（得开字，章留后同游）】杜甫
【棕拂子】杜甫
【桃竹杖引，赠章留后（竹兼可为簟，名桃笙）】杜甫
【寄题江外草堂（梓州作，寄成都故居）】杜甫
【韦讽录事宅观曹将军画马图】杜甫
【送韦讽上阆州录事参军】杜甫
【丹青引，赠曹将军霸】杜甫
【阆州东楼筵，奉送十一舅往青城县，得昏字】杜甫
【严氏溪放歌行（溪在阆州东百馀里）】杜甫
【南池（在阆中县东南，即彭道将鱼池）】杜甫
【发阆中】杜甫
【寄韩谏议】杜甫
【忆昔二首】杜甫
【冬狩行（时梓州刺史章彝兼侍御史留后东川）】杜甫
【自平】杜甫

FAQ

Does this book contain only the single poem "Shi Men"?

According to the available information, the book centers on Mei Yaochen's poem titled "Shi Men" and is a collated publication of a single or short text. Whether other appendices or explanatory matter are included should be checked against the actual table of contents; it is advisable to consult the full contents listing on the detail page before purchase.

What does "original Republican-era Commercial Press publication" mean?

It means the content is based on an edition printed by the Commercial Press during the Republican period, and the 2024 publication is a reprint or collated edition based on it. Such editions often preserve old typesetting and character usage and are of some reference value for studying textual transmission and the appearance of old publications.

Can I understand it without any grounding in classical poetry?

The language of "Shi Men" is relatively plain, but the allusions and syntax of Song poetry still present barriers. Without a foundation in classical poetry, it is advisable first to read an annotated and translated anthology of Song poetry as groundwork, then return to this single text; understanding will be smoother and you are less likely to give up in frustration.

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About the author

梅尧臣 Author

Mei Yaochen was a poet of the Northern Song dynasty. Publicly available information about the details of his life is limited, and basic facts such as his birth and death years and native place still require further verification. The library currently holds three of his works, namely Songshi Chao: Wanling Shichao, Shimeng, and Biyunxia, commonly classified under classical poetry and Eastern philosophy. These titles suggest that his writing combines lyrical expression with philosophical reflection, favoring plain and natural language and conveying feeling through everyday life and natural scenery rather than elaborate diction. Wanling Shichao, named after a place, indicates a connection between his poems and Wanling; Shimeng, judging by its title, leans toward dispelling melancholy; and Biyunxia has the character of miscellaneous notes. Overall, Mei Yaochen's verse is plain and restrained, and it exerted a certain influence on the later Song preference for meaning and understatement. Given the limited sources, however, judgments about his life and literary standing should be made with caution, and readers may appreciate him through the surviving works.