The Book of Literary Design : wen xin diao long

The earliest book-length treatise in Chinese literary criticism, the Wenxin diaolong is of central importance in the Chinese tradition. The work was compiled in the sixth century, one of the most fertile and original periods in Chinese critical thinking. Its author, Liu Xie, was a Buddhist monk as well as a Confucian scholar, and so represented the main persuasions of China. The Wenxin diaolong first came to be noted in the seventeenth century, when it was studied by scholars and edited by Mei Qingsheng. When the study of literary criticism became an independent discipline early in the twentieth century, it developed into a cynosure that was widely discussed and provided with learned annotations. This volume presents a fresh translation of the Wenxin diaolong that is at once authoritative and elegant. It may well be regarded as a standard reference by students of sinology and comparative literature. Title Page 4 verso 5 Table of Contents 6 Chronology of Chinese Dynasties 9 Introduction 10 1. The Way the Origin 13 2. The Sages the Oracle 16 3. The Classics the Forefather 19 4. Putting the Cabala in Order 23 5. Isolating Sao Poetry 26 6. Understanding Shi Poetry 30 7. The Yuefu Poems 35 8. Explaining Fu Poetry 39 9. Eulogistic Songs and Summaries 42 10. Prayers and Oaths 46 11. Inscriptions and Punctures 50 12. Laudations and Epitaphs 54 13. Commiseration and Condolence 57 14. Miscellaneous Rhythmic Prose 60 15. Puns and Parables 64 16. Scribal Hermeneutics 68 17. The Philosophers 74 18. Argument and Persuasion 78 19. Imperial Edicts 83 20. Declaration of War and of Disquiet 87 21. The Fengshan Sacrifice 91 22. Memorials Illuminative and Manifestative 94 23. Reports to the Throne and Statements 98 24. Debates and Answers 102 25. Notes and Letters 107 26. Magical Imagination 113 27. Style and Personality 116 28. The Affective Air and the Literary Bones 119 29. Continuity and Change 122 30. Stylistic Force 126 31. Substance and Style 129 32. Modelling and Tailoring 132 33. The Music 135 34. Chapter and Verse 138 35. Couplets 141 36. Bi and Xing -- Two Types of Metaphor 145 37. Hyperbole 149 38. Allusions 152 39. Language Refinement 156 40. Hidden Grace and the Visible Flower 160 41. Picking out the Imperfections 163 42. Preservation of the Life-breath 166 43. Assemblage and Collation 169 44. Methodology 172 45. Chronological Order 175 46. The Beauty of Nature 181 47. Talent 184 48. Understanding Another's Voice 189 49. Weighing the Vessel 193 50. Declaration of Intent 198 Select Bibliography 203 Glossary 209 "The earliest book-length treatise in Chinese literary criticism, the Wenxin diaolong is of central importance in the Chinese tradition. The work was compiled in the sixth century, one of the most fertile and original periods in Chinese critical thinking, its author, Liu Xie, was a Buddhist monk as well as a Confucian scholar, and so represented the main persuasions of China. The Wenxin diaolong first came to be noted in the seventeenth century, when it was studied by scholars and edited by Mei Qingshong. When the study of literary criticism became an independent discipline early in the twentieth century, it developed into a cynosure that was widely discussed and provided with learned annotations." "This volume presents a fresh translation of the Wenxin diaolong that is at once authoritative and elegant. It may well be regarded as a standard reference by students of sinology and comparative literature."--BOOK JACKET

This volume presents a fresh translation of the Wenxin diaolong that is at once authoritative and elegant. It may well be regarded as a standard reference by students of sinology and comparative literature.

Hong Kong University Press