''Nineteen Old Poems'' (), also known as ''Ku-shih shih-chiu shou'' is an anthology of
Chinese
Chinese can refer to:
* Something related to China
* Chinese people, people of Chinese nationality, citizenship, and/or ethnicity
**''Zhonghua minzu'', the supra-ethnic concept of the Chinese nation
** List of ethnic groups in China, people of ...
poem
Poetry (derived from the Greek ''poiesis'', "making"), also called verse, is a form of literature that uses aesthetic and often rhythmic qualities of language − such as phonaesthetics, sound symbolism, and metre − to evoke meanings in ...
s, consisting of nineteen poems which were probably originally collected during the
Han Dynasty
The Han dynasty (, ; ) was an imperial dynasty of China (202 BC – 9 AD, 25–220 AD), established by Liu Bang (Emperor Gao) and ruled by the House of Liu. The dynasty was preceded by the short-lived Qin dynasty (221–207 BC) and a warr ...
. These nineteen poems were very influential on later poetry, in part because of their use of the five-character line (). The dating of the original poems is uncertain, though in their present form they can be traced back to about 520 CE, when these poems were included in the famous literary anthology ''
Wen Xuan'', a compilation of literature attributed to the
Liang Crown Prince
Xiao Tong
Xiao Tong (, September/October 501 – 30 May 531), courtesy name Deshi (), formally Crown Prince Zhaoming (昭明太子, literally "Accomplished and Understanding Crown Prince"), was a Crown Prince of the Chinese Liang Dynasty, posthumousl ...
. The ''Nineteen Old Poems'' have been supposed to date mainly from the second century CE. The
gushi, or old style, poetry developed as an important poetic form of Classical Chinese poetry, in subsequent eras. The authorship of the "Nineteen Old Poems" is anonymous, however there are indications as to the authorship in terms of class and educational status, such as the focus on "the carriages and fine clothing, the mansions and entertainments of the upper classes", together with the literary references to the ''
Shijing
The ''Classic of Poetry'', also ''Shijing'' or ''Shih-ching'', translated variously as the ''Book of Songs'', ''Book of Odes'', or simply known as the ''Odes'' or ''Poetry'' (; ''Shī''), is the oldest existing collection of Chinese poetry, co ...
''. One of the tendencies of these poems is towards a "tone of brooding melancholy."
:::::::::::-- Burton Watson, describing the ''Nineteen Old Poems'', as quoted in his book ''Chinese Lyricism''.
[Watson, 32.]
See also
*
Classical Chinese poetry
Classical Chinese poetry is traditional Chinese poetry written in Classical Chinese and typified by certain traditional forms, or modes; traditional genres; and connections with particular historical periods, such as the poetry of the Tang dy ...
*
Gushi (poetry)
''Gushi'' (), is one of the main poetry forms defined in Classical Chinese poetry, literally meaning "old (or ancient) poetry" or "old (or ancient) style poetry": ''gushi'' is a technical term for certain historically exemplary poems, together ...
*
Han poetry
Han poetry as a style of poetry resulted in significant poems which are still preserved today, and whose origins are associated with the Han dynasty era of China, 206 BC – 220 AD, including the Wang Mang interregnum (9–23 AD). The final years ...
*''
Wen Xuan''
Notes
References
*Birrell, Anne (1988). ''Popular Songs and Ballads of Han China''. (London: Unwin Hyman).
*Watson, Burton (1971). ''CHINESE LYRICISM: Shih Poetry from the Second to the Twelfth Century''. New York: Columbia University Press.
* Yip, Wai-lim (1997). ''Chinese Poetry: An Anthology of Major Modes and Genres ''. Durham and London: Duke University Press.
External links
{{Portal bar, Poetry, China
Han dynasty texts
Han dynasty poetry
Chinese poetry anthologies