Chinese Poetry: Book of Songs to Tang Dynasty Verses

Ancient Chinese poetry is one of the world's great literary traditions — a body of work spanning over three thousand years that includes some of the most sophisticated lyrics in any language. From the "Book of Songs" of the Zhou Dynasty to the "Seventeen Laments" of the Warring States period, from Tang Dynasty regulated verse to Song Dynasty ci poetry, Chinese poetry has been central to Chinese cultural identity.

The Book of Songs

The "Book of Songs" (诗经, Shi Jing), compiled during the Zhou Dynasty, is the oldest collection of Chinese poetry — 305 poems of love, labor, warfare, and ritual. These poems established the themes — nature, love, social commentary, moral instruction — that would dominate Chinese poetry for three millennia.

Later Developments

Chinese poetry continued to evolve: the "Chu Ci" (楚辞) of the Warring States period introduced the sao style; the Tang Dynasty saw the development of regulated verse (律诗); the Song Dynasty developed the ci lyric form. Each era added new forms while maintaining the classical tradition.