Significance and contents
Although the Complete Tang Poems (Quan Tangshi or QTS) is the largest compilation of Tang poems,it is neither completely reliable nor complete. The work was done in some haste,and the editors did not justify or even indicate their own choices of texts or variant readings (other than perhaps by a first choice and list of variants:definitely weak by modern academic standards). Many additional poems and variant texts were discovered in the early 20th century in the cave library at Dunhuang,for instance,and the compilers ignored or could not find others. In the case of some major poets,there were better texts in individually edited volumes. Many are listed in Tang dynasty catalogs but did not survive the destruction of the imperial libraries.
The poems are arranged in sections,for instance,those by emperors or consorts and 乐府Yuefu (Music Bureau-style poems). Seven hundred and fifty-four sections,the largest number of sections,are arranged by author (with brief biography). Others are arranged by form or subject,such as women (five sections),monks,priests,spirits,ghosts,dreams,prophecy,proverbs,mystery,rumor,and drinking.
Li Yu, before 961 known as Li Congjia (李從嘉), also known as Li Houzhu or Last Lord of Southern Tang (南唐後主), was the third ruler of the Southern Tang dynasty of China during the Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. He reigned from 961 until 976, when he was captured by the invading Northern Song dynasty armies which annexed his state.
Chinese poetry is poetry written, spoken, or chanted in the Chinese language, and a part of the Chinese literature. While this last term comprises Classical Chinese, Standard Chinese, Mandarin Chinese, Yue Chinese, and other historical and vernacular forms of the language, its poetry generally falls into one of two primary types, Classical Chinese poetry and Modern Chinese poetry.
Cao Xueqin ; was a Chinese novelist and poet during the Qing dynasty. He is best known as the author of Dream of the Red Chamber, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature. His given name was Cáo Zhān (曹霑) and his courtesy name was Mengruan.
Liu Zongyuan was a Chinese philosopher, poet, and politician who lived during the Tang dynasty. Liu was born in present-day Yongji, Shanxi. Along with Han Yu, he was a founder of the Classical Prose Movement. He has been traditionally classed as one of the "Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song".
Li He was a Chinese poet of the mid-Tang dynasty. His courtesy name was Changji, and he is also known as Guicai and Shigui.
The Three Hundred Tang Poems is an anthology of poems from the Chinese Tang dynasty (618–907). It was first compiled around 1763 by Sun Zhu (1722–1778), who was a Qing Dynasty scholar and was also known as Hengtang Tuishi. Various later editions also exist. All editions contain slightly more than 300 total poems. The number 300 was a classic number for a poetry collection due to the influence of the Classic of Poetry, which was generally known as The Three Hundred Poems.
Consort Xu (徐惠妃) was a concubine of Later Shu's emperor Meng Chang during imperial China's Five Dynasties and Ten Kingdoms period. More commonly known as Madame Huarui (花蕊夫人), a name given to her because of her great beauty, she was also a notable poet.
Tang poetry refers to poetry written in or around the time of or in the characteristic style of China's Tang dynasty, and/or follows a certain style, often considered as the Golden Age of Chinese poetry. The Complete Tang Poems includes over 48,900 poems written by over 2,200 authors. During the Tang dynasty, poetry continued to be an important part of social life at all levels of society. Scholars were required to master poetry for the civil service exams, but the art was theoretically available to everyone. This led to a large record of poetry and poets, a partial record of which survives today. The two most famous poets of the period were Li Bai and Du Fu. The Qing dynasty selection, Three Hundred Tang Poems, has made Tang poetry familiar to educated Chinese in modern times.
Cen Shen or Cen Can, 715–770, was a Chinese poet. He was regarded one of the great Chinese poets during the Tang dynasty. His poems were included in the Three Hundred Poems anthology.
Meng Jiao (751–814) was a Chinese poet during the Tang dynasty. Two of his poems have been collected in the popular anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems. Meng was the oldest of the Mid-Tang poets and is noted for the unusual forcefulness and harshness of his poems.
Li Qi was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty, with seven of his poems being included in the famous anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems. As translated by Witter Bynner, these are:
Wei Yingwu , courtesy name Yibo (義博), art name Xizhai (西齋), was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty. Twelve of Wei Yingwu's poems were included in the influential Three Hundred Tang Poems anthology. He was also known by his honorific name Wei Suzhou (韋蘇州), which was bestowed upon him as a result of his service as the governor of Suzhou.
Qian Qi was a Chinese poet of the Tang dynasty. Three of his poems have been included within the famous anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems. His courtesy name was Zhongwen.
Li Pin was a late Tang dynasty poet. One of Li Pin's poems was collected in the popular anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems.
Lu Lun was a Chinese poet of the Middle Tang dynasty, with six of his poems being included in the famous anthology Three Hundred Tang Poems, as well as being mentioned in one poem, by Sikong Shu, which was translated by Witter Bynner as "When Lu Lun My Cousin Comes For The Night". His courtesy name is Yun Yan.
Song Zhiwen, also known by his courtesy name of Yanqing, was a Chinese poet of the early Tang dynasty, although technically his poetic career was largely within the anomalous dynastic interregnum of Wu Zetian. Together with Shen Quanqi, Song Zhiwen is considered to have the "credit for the final perfection" of the "new style" poetry of regulated verse (jintishi) which was one of the most critical poetic developments of the early Tang poets, and much followed as a style which inspired future generations of poets.
Gao Bing, was a Chinese poetry anthologist and poet. A native of Fuzhou, he flourished during the newly established Ming Dynasty (1368–1644) as an author and poetry theorist. Gao Bing collected and arranged Tang poetry-era poems and wrote commentary material upon them in a work published as the Graded Compendium of Tang Poetry, a seminal work using prosodic principles in a systematic method to classify poetry by Classical Chinese poetry forms. It contained 5,769 poems by 620 poets, along with notes and commentary. The Tangshi Pinhui aimed in part to correct what Gao Bing saw as lacking in previous works, particularly those of Song critic Yan Yu and Yuan critic Yang Shihong. Other works would later build upon the Tangshi Pinhui system which would later greatly influence the perception of Chinese poetry: in part because of Gao Bing's explicit nine-rank grading system, by which he evaluated the works of poets such as Du Fu, Li Bai, and Wang Wei.
Zhang Hu was a Chinese poet of the mid-Tang dynasty. His courtesy name was Chengji.
Han Hong was a Chinese poet of the mid-Tang period. His courtesy name was Junping.
Yuan Jie (719/723–772) was a Chinese poet and man of letters of the mid-Tang period. His courtesy name was Cishan, and he had several art names.
