Abstract
Scholars generally agree that Treatise on Poetry from the Chu Bamboo Slips in Shanghai Museum discusses poetry in terms of emotion and regulates emotion with ritual. However, this interpretation lacks comprehensiveness and a systematic approach, as emotion and ritual only constitute part of its framework. Upon integrating all bamboo slip texts, it becomes evident that Treatise on Poetry centers on the concept of “resentment”, sequentially critiquing “Lessons from the States” (“Bangfeng”) “Minor Odes of the Kingdom” (“Xiaoya”), “Major Odes of the Kingdom” (“Daya”), and “Odes of the Temple and Altar” (“Song”). Based on this, the slips can be reorganized according to a thematic progression: “resentment of the lower class” → “discord between rulers and subjects” → “harmony and achievements between monarchs and ministers”, all of which fall within the realm of politics. Additionally, politically oriented discourses are interwoven throughout. These texts exemplify the tradition of interpreting poetry through political discourse and serve as foundational sources for the formation of both the “Greater Preface” and “Minor Preface” to Book of Songs.
Keywords
Chu bamboo slips in the Shanghai Museum, Treatise on Poetry, poetry as an expression of resentment
First Page
108
Last Page
119
Recommended Citation
Wang, Jie. 2025. "A New Interpretation of the Methodology of Poetry Criticism in Treatise on Poetry from the Chu Bamboo Slips in the Shanghai Museum." Theoretical Studies in Literature and Art 45, (3): pp.108-119. https://tsla.researchcommons.org/journal/vol45/iss3/11
