Stanza permutation in the "Guo feng" 國風 and an examination of the hermeneutical tradition of "orderly progression

Bibliographic Data

ID2776733
AuthorsMeihui Liu (0009-0003-7156-5391, Princeton University, corresponding author)
Year2025
Volume88
Issue1
Pages123-147
Publication date2025-02-01
Peer ReviewedYes
Open AccessYes
TypeARTICLE
VenueBulletin of the School of Oriental and African Studies (JOURNAL)
Journal identifiersISSN: 0041-977X • E-ISSN: 1474-0699
PublisherCambridge University Press (CUP) (PUBLISHER)
DOI10.1017/s0041977x24000417
OpenAlexW4404603537
LanguageEN
Citations received1
References cited7

The Anda manuscript and Haihun slips have revealed that there were several different stanza permutations for poems in the "Guo feng" 國風 in early China. As most repetitive stanzas are essentially nonlinear, there is no intrinsic sequence for many poems. Rather than finding a "superior" stanza order, I would like to consider how the various stanza orders might challenge traditional interpretations of references to stanza numbers in the Zuozhuan 左傳 and the hermeneutical rule of "orderly progression" in the Shijing. Just as establishing the order of stanzas took a long time, the development of this rule was gradual. The belief in there being an unalterable stanza order not only influences how rhymes are interpreted but also shapes how lines and verses are annotated. Therefore, reconsidering the theory of orderly progression is a step towards re-evaluating the tradition of Shijing interpretation

Aesthetics · Art · Interpretation (philosophy) · Linguistics · Literature · Order (exchange) · Permutation (music) · Poetry · Stanza · Chinese history and philosophy · Japanese History and Culture · Philosophy

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