Casting and Cutting

Liu XieBashu Publishing House · ChinaOct 2020

4.4

Word count: 765 words
Chapters: 7

Summary

Refers to the refining of ideas and wording in poetry and prose. Liu Xie of the Liang dynasty in the Southern Dynasties, in The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, "Rongcai": "These two masters may be said to have mastered rongcai and understood profusion and brevity." Fan Wenlan notes: "Literature takes feeling and principle as its root and rhetoric as its branches and leaves; rong is what governs feeling and principle, making the guiding structure clear; cai is what governs rhetoric, preventing weeds from growing." Qing dynasty Fang Dongshu, "Postscript": "His writing cannot match the Master's purity, yet he knows what to rongcai, so as to harmonize with the ancients." Liu Dajie, A History of the Development of Chinese Literature, chapter 11, part 2, section 2: "[Xie Tiao] in the use of tonal patterns and rhetoric was skilled at rongcai and did not sink into excess and license."

Editor's review

"Rongcai" is drawn from The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons and discusses the craft of refining ideas and refining wording in the writing of poetry and prose. "Rong" points to the refining of feeling and principle so that the guiding structure becomes clear; "cai" points to the pruning of rhetoric so that weeds do not grow. Fan Wenlan's note, quoted in the source material, compares feeling and principle to the root and rhetoric to branches and leaves, precisely capturing the basic stance of this chapter: a piece of writing cannot consist only of flowery diction, nor only of crude ideas, but must make choices and fuse the two. The book also mentions that Xie Tiao was skilled at rongcai in his use of tonal patterns and rhetoric and did not sink into excess and license, which shows that this concept concerns both a principle of writing and concrete judgment of proportion. For today's readers, it does not offer steps like a writing-technique manual but rather a way of judging whether a piece is profuse or concise and whether feeling and wording are well matched. When reading, one may first understand "rong" and "cai" separately, then see together how they act on a piece of writing. The text is concise, yet the concept rewards chewing over and is suited to repeated rereading.

Who it's for

A good fit for

Readers in literature and history specializing in ancient literary theory and The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons
Writing enthusiasts who want to improve their judgment of what to keep and what to cut
Chinese-language learners interested in the refining of ideas and wording in poetry and prose
Readers who need to closely read short works of literary theory and grasp concepts

Not a good fit for

Beginners hoping for ready-to-use writing templates
People who find classical Chinese theoretical writing alienating and are unwilling to consult annotations
Casual readers who want only literary works and not theoretical texts

Reading tips

First understand "rong" and "cai" separately as refining ideas and refining wording, then grasp how the two work together.
Use Fan Wenlan's metaphor in the notes—feeling and principle as root, rhetoric as branches and leaves—to grasp the standard for what to keep and what to cut.
As you read, compare with poetry and prose you know and try to judge which passages belong to refining ideas and which to pruning wording.
Though short, reread it after a few days, focusing on one concept each time, so as not to swallow too many terms at once.

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
閒裁第三十二
正文一
正文二
正文三
正文四
正文五

FAQ

What do the two characters "rong" and "cai" refer to respectively?

"Rong" focuses on refining ideas, that is, fusing feeling and principle so that the guiding structure is clear; "cai" focuses on refining wording, that is, pruning rhetoric so that weeds do not grow. Together they describe the coordinated work of refining content and choosing wording in writing.

What problem does this chapter of The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons discuss?

It discusses how to handle the relationship between feeling and principle and rhetoric in the writing of poetry and prose, that is, the question of what to keep and what to cut. The author stresses that one should not pursue rhetoric alone, nor neglect literary grace, but through fusing and pruning make feeling and wording well matched and the guiding structure clear.

Can I read it without a background in literary theory?

Yes, but with the help of annotations. The text contains many terms; if you are unfamiliar with the overall framework of The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, it is best first to grasp the core pair of concepts, "refining ideas" and "refining wording," and then gradually understand the other formulations, rather than seeking completeness and depth from the start.

Does reading this help with everyday writing?

It offers not concrete steps but a kind of judgment: what content should be kept, which words and phrases should be cut, and whether feeling and wording are well matched. If in everyday writing you often struggle with being too profuse or too sparse, reading this kind of literary theory can help you reflect on your own standards of choice.

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About the author

Liu Xie Author · Chinese

Liu Xie (c. 465–520), courtesy name Yanhe, was a literary theorist and critic of the Liang dynasty in the Southern Dynasties. His ancestral home was Ju County in Shandong, and he was born in Jingkou. Orphaned young and poor, he was nonetheless devoted to learning and long stayed with the monk Sengyou at Dinglin Temple, where he took part in collating Buddhist scriptures. From about the age of thirty-two, Liu Xie spent five years completing The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons (Wenxin Diaolong), a work of broad scope and deep thought that examines genres, creative conception, style and rhetoric, and literary criticism. It is the most systematic treatise on literary theory in ancient China. Chapters such as “Preface and Motives,” “History and Biography,” “Cutting and Tailoring,” “General Technique,” and “Prayers and Oaths” discuss aims in writing, the genre of history and biography, organization and arrangement, principles of composition, and the forms of prayers and oaths, showing his concern with the origins of genres and the practice of writing. In his later years he became a monk and changed his name to Huidi. Public information about the details of his life is limited, but The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons has had a profound influence on later literary appreciation, Eastern philosophy, and cultural studies.