The Development and Change of Ancient Chinese Literature

Ancient Chinese literature had a long history and had experienced a long process of development. The following is the general development of ancient Chinese literature: Pre-Qin period (11th century B.C. -221B.C.): Many important ideologists and politicians appeared, such as Confucius, Mencius, Mozi, Xunzi, etc. Their thoughts and culture had a profound impact on ancient Chinese literature. 2. Qin and Han Dynasties (221 B.C. -220 A.D.): It was the peak period of ancient Chinese literature. Many great literary works appeared, such as "Records of the Historian" and "Han Shu". The literary style of the Qin and Han Dynasties was mainly lyric poems and argumentative essays, showing a strong personality and a spirit of speculation. 3. Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220 - 589): It was the low point of ancient Chinese literature. The development of literature was greatly hindered by war and political turmoil. However, some important literary works also appeared during this period, such as Dream of the Red Chamber and Romance of the Three Kingdoms. 4. Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (589 - 1911): It was a period of stable development of ancient Chinese literature. The forms and styles of literature continued to be innovative and developed. Many outstanding writers and literary works appeared, such as Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, etc. of the Tang Dynasty, Su Shi, Xin Qiji, Lu You, etc. of the Song Dynasty, Lu Xun of the Yuan Dynasty, Fan Wenlan, etc. of the Ming and Qing Dynasties, Lu Xun, Cao Xueqin, etc. The modern period (1911 - 2020): It was the modern period of ancient Chinese literature. The forms and styles of literature changed continuously, and some important modern writers and literary works appeared, such as Lu Xun, Lao She, Ba Jin, etc. The above is the general context of the development of ancient Chinese literature. Different eras and periods have different literary characteristics and styles, which together constitute the profound meaning and charm of ancient Chinese literature.

The peak of the development of ancient Chinese literature was in the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) and the Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). In the Tang Dynasty, poetry, prose, novels, and other literary forms reached their peak, and many great poets, essayists, and novelists appeared. The poems of the Tang Dynasty were regarded as one of the treasures of ancient Chinese literature because of their superb artistic expression and profound ideology. In the Song Dynasty, the literary forms were more diverse and the development of novels was very prosperous. The works of novelists from the Song Dynasty, such as Water Margins and Journey to the West, became classics in the history of ancient Chinese literature. At the same time, the prose, poetry and other literary forms of the Song Dynasty also had their own characteristics to show the broad and profound literature of the Song Dynasty. Generally speaking, ancient Chinese literature reached its peak in the Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty, leaving behind many immortal literary classics that had a profound impact on the development of literature in later generations.

The development of ancient Chinese literature can be traced back to the pre-Qin period, when there were already some poems. As time passed, the types and styles of literary works varied from dynasty to dynasty. The following is an overview of the development of some types of ancient Chinese literature: 1 Pre-Qin Poetry In the Pre-Qin period, poetry was a very important form of literature. The most famous of them was the Book of Songs, which was a classic of ancient Chinese poetry and collected a large number of poems from the pre-Qin period. These poems came in various forms, ranging from lyric poems to narrative poems, Fu, and Yuefu. Qin and Han narrative literature The narrative literature of the Qin and Han Dynasties developed rapidly. Famous narrative literature works included Records of the Historian and Han Shu. These works mainly described the political, social, and cultural aspects of the Qin and Han Dynasties with historical events and biographies. 3 Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties novels During the Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties, novels began to sprout. During this period, a number of famous novels such as Strange Tales from a Chinese Studio and The Scholars appeared. These novels reflected the political, economic, and cultural conditions of the society at that time with the main theme of characters and plots. 4 Tang and Song Ci The Ci of the Tang and Song Dynasties, as a form of literature, was further developed. The representative figures of this period were Su Shi, Xin Qiji, etc. Their Ci works were of high artistic value, mainly based on expressing emotions and describing scenery. 5 Yuan Ming and Qing novels During the Yuan, Ming, and Qing dynasties, novels had a deeper development. During this period, a number of famous novels appeared, such as "Dream of the Red Chamber","Water Margins","Journey to the West" and so on. These works mainly reflected the political, economic, and cultural conditions of the society at that time with the characters and plots as the main theme.

The peak of the development of ancient Chinese literature was during the Tang Dynasty (618 - 907) and Song Dynasty (960 - 1279). During this period, many great works appeared in Chinese literature, such as the works of Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi, Su Shi, Xin Qiji, Lu You, and other poets. These works not only occupied an important position in the history of Chinese literature, but also had a profound influence on world literature.

In the 1990s, many changes took place in the environment for the development of Chinese literature, including the following aspects: Since the new century, with the rapid development of China's economy and social progress, people's values and aesthetic concepts have gradually changed, and the literary market has shown a trend of specialization. Under such circumstances, many of them reflected the changes and styles of this era through their works. The rise of online literature also brought new opportunities for the development of Chinese literature. As a new literary form, online literature attracted a large number of readers through the Internet platform. There were many influential and valuable literary works on the internet. The international level of Chinese literature had also improved. In the 1990s, Chinese literature began to enter the international market through translation and cultural exchanges to show its literary achievements to foreign countries. In recent years, the international level of Chinese literature has been constantly improving. Many Chinese literary works have been translated into many languages and have been widely recognized and praised internationally. The literary criticism also changed. In the 1990s, Chinese literary criticism began to focus on reflection and criticism, emphasizing the response and revelation of literature to social reality. With the change of times, literary criticism became more diverse and open, paying more attention to the uniqueness and value of literature.

The development of ancient Chinese literary forms had gone through a long process. The following are some of the important stages and forms: Pre-Qin period (1046 - 221 B.C.): The Book of Songs, Chu Ci, and Han Yuefu were the representative literary forms of the Pre-Qin period. The Book of Songs was the earliest collection of poems in ancient China. It contained thousands of poems. The Songs of Chu was written by Qu Yuan, a poet of the State of Chu during the Warring States Period. The Han Yuefu was an official form of poetry created by the Han Dynasty government. It mainly included some works from the Book of Songs, as well as some folk songs and small poems from the Han Dynasty. 2. Han Dynasty (206 B.C. to 220 A.D.): The main literary forms of the Han Dynasty were "Nineteen Ancient Poems","Yuefu Za Qu","Rap Art", etc. "Nineteen Ancient Poems" was a poem created by Zhang Heng, a poet of the Han Dynasty. It was famous for its fresh, natural, and lyrical style. "Yuefu Za Qu" was a song and dance poem created by the government during the Han Dynasty. It mainly included some court dances and Yuefu folk songs. The Art of Rap and Singing was a form of literature in the Han Dynasty. It was a way to tell stories and poems with humor and beautiful language. 3. The Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties (220 - 589 AD): The Wei, Jin, Southern and Northern Dynasties was the climax of the development of ancient Chinese literature, and many excellent literary works appeared. Wen Xuan, Wen Zi, and The Analects of Confucius were the representative literary works of the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties. Wenxuan was an important pioneer of the ancient prose movement in the Tang Dynasty. It collected a large number of poems and essays from the Wei, Jin, and Southern and Northern Dynasties. Wenzi was the earliest philosophical work in ancient China that put forward the idea of the unity of heaven and man. The Analects of Confucius was one of the most important classics in ancient China. It reflected the core ideas of Confucianism during the Spring and Autumn Period. 4 Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties (618 - 1911 AD): The Tang, Song, Yuan, Ming and Qing Dynasties were the low point of the development of ancient Chinese literature and one of the most glorious periods in the history of Chinese literature. The literary works of the Tang and Song Dynasties were mainly poems, such as the works of famous poets such as Li Bai, Du Fu, and Bai Juyi. The literary works of the Yuan, Ming, and Qing Dynasties were mainly novels, such as Dream of the Red Chamber, Water Margins, Journey to the West, and other classic works. The literary forms of this period were also constantly innovative and developed, such as lyrics, opera, rap, and so on.

The peak of the development of ancient Chinese literature was during the Ming and Qing Dynasties, when there were many outstanding writers and cultural celebrities, such as the Qing Dynasty like shakespeare and the Tang Dynasty poets like Li Bai and Du Fu. Their works not only reached the peak of literature, but also had a far-reaching impact on culture, art, thought and so on. In addition, the literary schools and works of the Ming and Qing Dynasties were also very colorful, such as the graceful and restrained school, the bold and unconstrained school, the landscape and rural school, and so on.

The development of ancient Chinese literature had the following characteristics: 1. Long history: The ancient Chinese literature has a long history, which can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. It formed an ideology and culture system with Confucianism, Taoism, Mohism and other schools of thought as the core. At the same time, it also produced a number of excellent literary works such as The Book of Songs, The Songs of Chu, The Analects of Confucius, Tao Te Ching, etc. 2. Focus on realism: Ancient Chinese literature emphasized realism in its creation and emphasized on reflecting real life. For example, the description in Water Margins revealed the ugliness and evil of human nature by describing the dark reality of Song Dynasty society. 3. Rich narration: The narration of ancient Chinese literature covers history, legends, myths, legends, novels and many other types. For example,"Dream of the Red Chamber","Journey to the West","Water Margins" and other novels are all classic works of ancient Chinese literature. 4. Poem Prevailing: Ancient Chinese literature was mainly composed of poems. There were various forms of poetry, such as narrative poems, lyric poems, idyllic poems, etc. For example, the works of Li Bai, Du Fu, Bai Juyi and other poets of the Tang Dynasty were still widely praised today. 5. Profound literary tradition: Ancient Chinese literature has a profound literary tradition, forming a unique literary style and language style, such as Tang poetry of the Tang Dynasty, Song Ci of the Song Dynasty, etc. These works are still praised and appreciated by people today.

The basic law of the development of ancient Chinese literature was: The Four Great Tradition: The Four Great Tradition is the basic law of the development of ancient Chinese literature, including the Book of Songs, the Songs of Chu, the Fu of Han Dynasty and the Tang Poetry. These traditions played an important role in the history of Chinese literature and had a far-reaching impact on the development of Chinese literature. 2. Rhythm: Ancient Chinese literature paid attention to rhythm and rhythm, and often used specific rhythms and rhythms to express emotions and thoughts. These rules of rhythm and rhythm were called " Rhythm Rhythm Rules ", which included tones, rhyme, rhythm and rhythm. 3. The content of the subject matter: The content of ancient Chinese literature is rich and varied, including history, myths, legends, reality, etc. These topics reflected the society, people's lives and ideas at that time, as well as the characteristics of ancient Chinese culture. 4. Literature and art: The literary and artistic forms of ancient Chinese literature are rich and colorful, including poetry, prose, Fu, Ci, Qu, etc. These artistic forms had their own characteristics and merged with each other to form a unique ancient Chinese literary style. The development of ancient Chinese literature was related to the political, economic, cultural and other factors at that time, and was also affected by the natural environment. Each era had its own characteristics and characteristics, which also influenced the development of ancient Chinese literature.

Ancient Chinese literature included three different types of literature: 1. Fictions: Fictions are one of the representative types of ancient Chinese literature. Its formation and development can be traced back to the pre-Qin period. With the changes of the times and the strengthening of cultural exchanges, novels have gradually become an important part of Chinese literature. The main feature of the novel was that the story was strong, the plot was complicated, the characters were vivid, the language was concise, and the description was exquisite. Poetry: Poetry is another important type of ancient Chinese literature. Its formation and development can be traced back to the Han Dynasty. Poetry is one of the earliest literary forms in Chinese literature. With the change of times and the strengthening of cultural exchanges, poetry gradually became an important part of Chinese literature. The characteristics of poetry were beautiful rhythm, profound mood, sincere feelings, rich thoughts and gorgeous language. Prose: Prose is the next representative type of ancient Chinese literature. Its formation and development can be traced back to the Tang Dynasty. Prose is featured by concise language, clear expression of ideas, clear focus on logic and rationality. The main function of prose was to express the author's thoughts and feelings. At the same time, it could also be used as a form of writing for academic works, political essays, and novels.