The Oxford Handbook of Classical Chinese Literature

625 Pages·2017·5.88 MB·English

by  Wiebke Denecke

The Oxford Handbook of
C L A S S I C A L
C H I N E S E
L I T E R AT U R E
( 1 0 0 0 bce–9 0 0   ce)

The Oxford Handbook of
CLASSICAL
CHINESE
LITERATURE
1000 bce–9 00 ce)
(
Edited by
WIEBKE DENECKE, WAI- YEE LI,
and
XIAOFEI TIAN
1
3
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Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data
Names: Denecke, Wiebke editor. | Li, Wai-Yee editor. | Tian, Xiaofei, 1971-editor.
Title: The Oxford handbook of classical Chinese literature (1000 bce– 900 ce) /
edited by Wiebke Denecke, Wai-Yee Li, and Xiaofei Tian.
Description: New York : Oxford University Press, 2017.
Identifiers: LCCN 2016036926 | ISBN 9780199356591 (hardback) |
ISBN 9780199356614 (online content)
Subjects: LCSH: Chinese literature—221 B.C.-960 A.D.—History and criticism.
Classification: LCC PL2283 .O94 2017 | DDC 895.109/002—dc23 LC record available at
https://lccn.loc.gov/2016036926
1 3 5 7 9 8 6 4 2
Printed by Sheridan Books, Inc., United States of America
For our children
Shira Li Bartov
Rom Li Bartov
George Chengji Owen
Simon Denecke- Spakovszky
Felix Denecke- Spakovszky

Contents
Acknowledgments  xi
Contributor List  xiii
Timeline of Chinese Dynasties  xv
SECTION ONE: INTRODUCTION
1. Key Concepts of “Literature”  3
(Stephen Owen)
2. Periodization and Major Inflection Points  13
(Stephen Owen)
SECTION TWO: BASICS OF LITERACY
I. Technology and Media
Editor’s Introduction (Xiaofei Tian)  27
3. The Chinese Writing System  31
(Imre Galambos)
4. Literary Media: Writing and Orality  46
(Christopher M. B. Nugent)
5. Manuscript Culture  61
(Christopher M. B. Nugent)
6. The Relationship of Calligraphy and Painting to Literature  76
(Ronald Egan)
II. Institutions of Literary Culture
Editor’s Introduction (Xiaofei Tian)  91
7. Education and the Examination System  95
(Rebecca Doran)
viii Contents
8. Text and Commentary: The Early Tradition  112
(Michael Puett)

9. Text and Commentary in the Medieval Period  123

(Yu-y u Cheng)
10. Literary Learning: Encyclopedias and Epitomes  132

(Xiaofei Tian)
11. Libraries, Book Catalogues, Lost Writings  147

(Glen Dudbridge)
SECTION THREE: LITERARY PRODUCTION
I. Traditional Genre Spectrum
Editor’s Introduction (Wai-y ee Li)  163

12. Classics (jing 經)  170
(David Schaberg)

13. Histories (shi 史)  184
(Stephen Durrant)

14. Masters (zi 子)  201
(Wiebke Denecke)

15. Collections (ji 集)  219
(Xiaofei Tian)

II. Modern Perspectives on Genre
Editor’s Introduction (Wai-y ee Li)  235

16. “Chinese Poetry”  241

(Paul Rouzer)

17. Elite versus Popular Literature  258
(Wilt L. Idema)

18. Narrative Genres  273
(Sarah M. Allen)
Contents ix
III. Collecting, Editing, Transmitting
Editor’s Introduction (Xiaofei Tian)  288
19. Pre- Tang Anthologies and Anthologization  293
(David R. Knechtges)
20. Anthologies in the Tang  303
(Paul W. Kroll)
21. The Song Reception of Earlier Literature  316
(Stephen Owen)
22. Textual Transmission of Earlier Literature during the Yuan, Ming,
and Qing Dynasties  325
(Wai- yee Li)
IV. Literature and Metaliterature
Editor’s Introduction (Wiebke Denecke)  342
23. Defenses of Literature/L iterary Thought/P oetics  347
(Paul Rouzer)
24. Concepts of Authorship  360
(Wai- yee Li)
25. Tradition Formation: Beginnings to Eastern Han  377
(Stephen Durrant)
26. Classicisms in Chinese Literary Culture: Six Dynasties through Tang  387
(Anna M. Shields)
SECTION FOUR: MOMENTS, SITES, FIGURES
Editor’s Introduction (Wai-y ee Li)  399
27. Moments  403
(Paula Varsano)
28. Sites I  424
(Jack Chen)