Selected Poems of Huang Zhongze cover

Selected Poems of Huang Zhongze

Rating 4.2
Word count
87K words
Chapters
179
ISBN
9787100214421

Tags

Summary

A brilliant poet who died young, Huang Zhongze is regarded as the foremost figure of Qianlong-era Qing poetry. In modern times, writers such as Yu Dafu, Qu Qiubai, A Ying, and Zhang Yiping all held his verse in high esteem. The profound loneliness, lingering love, and the hardships of a poor scholar's life voiced in his poems have struck a deep chord in later generations. Lines such as "The stars are not those of last night; for whom do I stand in the wind and dew till midnight," "Nine out of ten men deserve a cold eye; a scholar is good for nothing," and "I stand quietly on the market bridge, unknown, watching a single star like the moon for a long while" are still widely recited today. Based on the editor's years of research, this anthology offers a distinctive selection, detailed annotations, and accessible critical commentary, and corrects some earlier misunderstandings and mistaken annotations. It is currently the best reader's edition of Huang Zhongze's poetry.

Editor's review

Huang Zhongze: Selected Poems, edited by the scholar Jiang Yin and published by the Commercial Press, is a concise selection of poems by the Qing poet Huang Jingren (courtesy name Zhongze). Huang Zhongze was a poet of extraordinary talent during the Qianlong reign who died young; his verse is known for its sincere, profound feeling and its lucid, plaintive style, and he has been called "the Li Bai of the Qing." Jiang Yin's selection is no simple listing of famous pieces but a scholarly sifting and ordering that balances the poet's early verve with his later somberness, highlighting in particular representative works expressing grief over his personal fate and the malaise of his age, such as "Sixteen Poems of Wistful Thoughts" and "Miscellaneous Reflections." The selection's greatest value lies in its guiding function: Jiang Yin's preface and brief annotations build a bridge for modern readers into the imaginative world of classical poetry, identifying the "poignant and exquisite" artistic character of Huang's verse while situating it in the cultural context of the mid-Qing, revealing how this "ill-fated poet" gave voice to the harbingers of his era through his personal misfortunes. For readers who wish to understand Qing poetry beyond the labels of "spirit and tone" and "native sensibility," this book offers an excellent entry point, one charged with the pain of lived experience.

Who it's for

A good fit for

  • Lovers of classical literature interested in Qing writing, especially the Qianlong-Jiaqing poetry circle
  • Readers seeking the finest of Chinese classical poetry beyond the Tang and Song
  • Readers who appreciate sincerity, melancholy, and the aesthetics of solitude in poetry
  • University Chinese literature students and scholars needing related research aids

Not a good fit for

  • Readers seeking light entertainment or purely narrative reading
  • Complete beginners unfamiliar with classical prosody and literary Chinese who are unwilling to work at it

Reading tips

  1. Begin with the editor Jiang Yin's preface to gain an overall picture of the poet's life and style
  2. There is no need to read straight through; start with the pieces that move you most or are best known (such as the sixteen poems of "Wistful Thoughts") to feel their emotional intensity
  3. While reading, consult brief background material on the circumstances of literati under the Qianlong "golden age" to deepen your understanding of the sorrow and indignation in his verse

About the publisher

The Commercial Press China · Founded in 1897

The Commercial Press is a publisher known for classic works and academic publishing, with titles spanning Eastern philosophy, foreign literature, world history, social culture, and applied psychology. Its list includes classical commentaries such as Zhu Xi's Collected Commentaries on the Analects and Wang Bi's Commentary on the Zhouyi, as well as modern annotated translations like Zhuangzi with Modern Notes and Translation. In foreign literature it offers War and Peace and Crime and Punishment, while in world history it carries Braudel's The Mediterranean and the Mediterranean World in the Age of Philip II. Applied psychology is represented by Irvin D. Yalom's Existential Psychotherapy, and ethical texts include a Greek-Chinese-English edition of the Nicomachean Ethics. Its authors and translators include Zhu Xi, Wang Bi, Yalom, Braudel, and translators such as Huang Zheng, Zhang Yiling, Shen Dongyu, and Tang Jialong, balancing the editing of original texts with academic translation.

Contents

  1. 版权信息
  2. 走出学术象牙塔
  3. 导言
  4. 初春
  5. 别意
  6. 少年行
  7. 杂咏(二十首选一)
  8. 秋夕
  9. 感旧
  10. 观潮行
  11. 后观潮行
  12. 湖上和酬仇丽亭
  13. 杂感
  14. 晓雪
  15. 春夜闻钟
  16. 三月一日道中偶成
  17. 春雨望新安江
  18. 道旁废园
  19. 醉醒
  20. 初春
  21. 春日楼望
  22. 游四明山放歌
  23. 晚宿云门寺
  24. 难忘曲
  25. 闻子规
  26. 游岳麓
  27. 登衡山看日出用韩韵
  28. 湖上阻风杂诗(五首选二)
  29. 汉江晓发
  30. 乌江项王庙
  31. 新凉曲
  32. 十八夜偕稚存看月次韵
  33. 重九夜偶成
  34. 二十三夜偕稚存广心杏庄饮大醉作歌
  35. 人日病愈强步观城西水上合乐
  36. 别老母
  37. 别内
  38. 幼女
  39. 老仆
  40. 十四夜京口舟次送别张大归扬州
  41. 二道口舟次夜起
  42. 当涂旅夜遣怀
  43. 偕容甫登绛雪亭
  44. 太白墓
  45. 夜坐写怀
  46. 梦孤山
  47. 夜坐怀维衍桐巢
  48. 十八夜复宴
  49. 月下登太白楼和思复壁间见怀韵
  50. 金陵杂感
  51. 金陵待稚存不至适容甫招饮
  52. 秋兴 并序(二首选一)
  53. 旅夜
  54. 客夜忆城东旧游寄怀左二
  55. 太白楼和稚存
  56. 以所携剑赠容甫
  57. 上朱笥河先生
  58. 桓温墓
  59. 辛卯除夕
  60. 春日客感
  61. 笥河先生偕宴太白楼醉中作歌
  62. 虞忠肃祠
  63. 观澜亭
  64. 短歌别华峰
  65. 黄山松歌
  66. 铺海
  67. 写怀
  68. 游九华山放歌
  69. 独酌感怀
  70. 得蒋良卿书知客池阳却寄并订岁杪同归
  71. 舟行即目
  72. 悲来行
  73. 楼上对月
  74. 赠袁陶轩
  75. 湖楼夜起
  76. 稚存从新安归而余方自武陵来新安相失于道作此寄之
  77. 赠程厚孙时为厚孙作书与汪容甫定交
  78. 练江舟中
  79. 冬日过西湖(二首选一)
  80. 癸巳除夕偶成
  81. 别稚存
  82. 别陈秋士次韵
  83. 重九后十日醉中次钱企卢韵赠别(四首选一)
  84. 展叔宀先生墓(二首选一)
  85. 将之京师杂别(六首选二)
  86. 太白楼留别史戺庵
  87. 旅馆夜成
  88. 言怀
  89. 绮怀(十六首选六)
  90. 中秋夜雨
  91. 夜饮孙吟秋斋头邻家火发归而成此并讯吟秋
  92. 架头颇多故人枉书未报作此寄意
  93. 午窗偶成(三首选二)
  94. 题可堂印谱
  95. 涡水舟夜
  96. 题济宁驿舍
  97. 东阿项羽墓
  98. 东阿道中逢汪剑潭
  99. 平定两金川大功告成恭纪谨序
  100. 春感
  101. 即席分赋得卖花声(二首选一)
  102. 翁覃溪先生以先文节公像属题像李晞古笔藏夏邑彭春衣侍讲家此先生属山阴朱兰圃临本也
  103. 颜鲁公名印歌
  104. 得稚存渊如书却寄
  105. 病中杂成
  106. 丙申除夕(三首选二)
  107. 十四夜赵舍人秉渊招集酒后偕步灯市
  108. 移家来京师(六首选四)
  109. 都门秋思
  110. 赠陈秋士
  111. 偕王秋塍张鹤柴访菊法源寺
  112. 送赵渭川归罗浮
  113. 重九夜坐偶成
  114. 偶游僧舍见有题恶诗于壁者姓名与予同戏作
  115. 夜坐示施雪帆(二首选一)
  116. 再叠前韵(二首选一)
  117. 送温舍人汝适归广州
  118. 雪后集陶然亭先归道登黑窑厂
  119. 集吴香亭太常斋见所藏孙雪居董香光书画合册作歌(董书唐人五七言绝句八幅,孙为补图)
  120. 张鹤柴招集赋得寒夜四声(四首选一)
  121. 元夜独登天桥酒楼醉歌
  122. 正月见桃花盛开且落矣
  123. 送陈理堂学博归江南(四首选一)
  124. 与稚存话旧
  125. 题杨鉴亭秋曹幽篁独坐图
  126. 岁暮怀人(二十首选五)
  127. 腊月廿五日饮翁学士宝苏斋题钱舜举画林和靖小像用苏韵
  128. 又用前韵题翁覃溪所摹和靖秋凉三君二札
  129. 小除日经厂市见王叔明画爱不克购归以志懊
  130. 元日大雪叠前韵
  131. 初四日复雪余少云以和诗来即叠韵奉答
  132. 圈虎行
  133. 题翁覃溪所藏宋椠施注苏诗原本(即宋商丘所藏本,后归查初白)
  134. 桂未谷明经以旧藏山谷诗孙铜印见赠
  135. 送邵元直南旋
  136. 移家南旋是日报罢
  137. 直沽舟次寄怀都下诸友人(二首选一)
  138. 沧州晚泊
  139. 吴桥
  140. 平原(二首选一)
  141. 历城道中
  142. 十四夜宴程徵江学使者座
  143. 济南病中杂诗(七首选三)
  144. 除夕述怀
  145. 题余少云萧寺吟秋图
  146. 题明人画蕉阴宫女即次徐文长题诗韵
  147. 独鹤行简赵味辛兼示洪对岩
  148. 题洪稚存机声灯影图
  149. 放鹤图黎二樵为周肃斋明府作属题
  150. 晓发保定
  151. 真定道中
  152. 井陉行
  153. 平定州
  154. 晋祠
  155. 夜宿朝阳阁感怀龚梓树
  156. 赠徐二
  157. 秦淮
  158. 典衣行
  159. 初夏命仆刈阶草
  160. 思家
  161. 移树行
  162. 夜雨
  163. 醉歌寄洪华峰
  164. 病中
  165. 题赤桥庵上人画梅
  166. 山房夜雨
  167. 夜读邵先生诗(二首选一)
  168. 八月十四夜偕华峰放舟城东醉归歌此
  169. 别亦园诸君即用屠笏岩赠别原韵
  170. 舟夜
  171. 山店独饮苦无美酒薄醉题壁而去
  172. 僧舍寒甚醉而作歌
  173. 金陵望江
  174. 别陈秋士次韵
  175. 次韵赠蒋师退时偕洪稚存客维扬并怀高东井(二首选一)
  176. 述怀示友人(二首选一)
  177. 题黄麓隐画册
  178. 西陵
  179. 朝来

FAQ

What are the main characteristics of Huang Zhongze's poetry?
His verse is known for deep, sustained feeling and poignant, exquisite beauty. It chiefly expresses the loneliness and indignation of a poverty-stricken, unrecognized talent; its language is lucid and natural and its imagery hauntingly beautiful, making it unique in Qing poetry and intensely personal and moving.
How does this selection differ from other collections of Huang Zhongze's poetry?
This selection was compiled by Jiang Yin, a leading scholar of classical Chinese literature. The choices are judicious and emphasize artistic value and representativeness, and it includes a scholarly introduction and annotations. It focuses on guiding modern readers to understand and appreciate the inner value and historical place of Huang's poetry rather than simply gathering texts.
What background is needed to read Huang Zhongze's poetry?
A high-school level ability to read literary Chinese is enough for basic comprehension. The allusions are not especially obscure and the feeling speaks directly to the heart; even without deep knowledge of Qing history, readers will be moved by its sincere intensity. The editor's annotations provide the necessary support.

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About the author

蒋寅 Author

Jiang Yin is a scholar-author whose work focuses on classical Chinese poetry. Public information about him is limited, and details of his birth year, native place and academic background are not available in the existing records. Judging from the four works held in the collection, his writing centres on traditional Chinese poetics: Classical Poetics in Modern Interpretation and its sequel attempt to re-examine traditional poetic questions from a modern perspective, while The Road of Chinese Poetics: Between History, Culture and Aesthetics places poetics at the intersection of historical context, cultural setting and aesthetic judgment. He has also edited Selected Poems of Huang Zhongze, bringing the work of the Qing dynasty poet Huang Zhongze to contemporary readers. These works show an approach that balances documentary grounding with theoretical interpretation, attending both to the analysis of poetic concepts and to the connections between poetry, culture and aesthetics. They are suitable for readers interested in classical Chinese poetry and poetic theory.

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