Classical Poetry

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As is well known，Chinese literature spans back thousands of years，from the earliest recorded dynastic court archives to the matured fictional novel arising in the medievalperiod to entertain the masses of literate Chinese and common people from all walks of life.Although the introduction of widespread woodbock printing during the Tang Dynasty andthe invention of movable type printing by Bi Sheng（990一1051 AD）during the Song Dynasty did not extinguish the importance or emphasis laid upon written Chinese calligraphy，these two forms of printing rapidly spread written knowledge throughout China.They helped develop the Chinese literature at such a speed as“bamboo shoots after spring rains”.

There are tremendous literature works worth reading，yet we can only mention a few here.

The Book of Odes（Songs）

Chinese literature begins with Shijing，an anthology of songs，poems，and hymns.It consists of 311 poems（6 without text）dating from the Zhou Dynasty to the Spring and Autumn Period.Geographically speaking，these poems were collected from the area which is now central China and the lower Huanghe Valley of north China where Chinese civilization began and flourished.This area covers what are today’s Shaanxi，Shanxi，Shandong，Henan，and Hebei provinces.The collection is divided into four main sections：

1.1Lessons from the States ：poems or folk songs from ordinary people.

1.2 Minor Odes of the Kingdom ：poems or songs concerning life of the nobility.

1.3 Greater Odes of the Kingdom ：poems or songs for praise of the rulers and their life.

1.4 Odes ofthe Temple and the Altar ：hymns written for religious ceremonies of the court.

There were many interpretations and commentaries written generations later and the influence of Shijing on Chinese literature is overwhelming and undeniable by any one at any time.Shijing not only lays the foundation for the formation of style and rules for Chinese classical poems，it is also frequently quoted in other canonical Chinese texts and has always been referred to as moral truth and lessons.Its popularity is tremendous.

The poems collected in the anthology touch and reflect on all aspects of Chinese life at the time.Some describe emotions，feelings and situations of people from different classes of society，some report events and matters of state，and some depict the harmonious rule of nature.There is record of some one hundred kinds of plants and trees and ninety kinds of animals and insects in Shijing.Different kinds of musical instruments，metals，arms and munitions of war，buildings，clothing，food，etc.are frequently mentioned.Given the genuine and diverse nature of the poems collected in this anthology，in addition to its literary significance，Shijing is a very valuable document for those who wish to seek insight into Chinese civilization and beyond.This Chinese Classic has been well-known both at home and abroad.The following is just a few leaves from thegrand tree of Chinese literature but they can，all the same，provide some taste for the readers.