For foreigners who come to learn Chinese in China, they should know that the Book of Songs is a very important content in Chinese culture. It is the first poems collection created in Shang Dynasty. In the Book of Songs, there are 305 poems are collected, all of which were written from the beginning of the Western Zhou Dynasty to the middle of the Spring and Autumn Period. It is also the earliest collections of royal literature and folk literature.
In the Book of Songs, “guo feng” preserves many oral creations of the common people. Even there were decorated when they were written in the book, there were all full of rich folk literature coloring. What the foreigners who come to learn in China should know is that the folk songs in “guo feng” reflect the living conditions of the common people at that time.
The songs express their altitudes to the cruel realistic life and faith in life. Therefore, they are regarded as the earliest realism poems. Here are some examples that the students who study Mandarin in China should know. “July” reflects the miserable life of the people. “Jig u” and “dong shan” reflect misery people suffered under the heavy corvee and military service. “Shuo shu” makes a complaint against the slave owners.
However, when foreign learners come to learn Chinese in China, the teachers may tell them that there are many folk songs in “guo feng” center on the theme of marriage and love. Some of them express the resistance to the unsatisfying marriage. Some indicate the miserable experience and some describe the twists and turns of the love stories.
Most of the poems in “guo feng” are pure folk literature works. The poems are different in forms. In a sentence, it could be two, three, five, six, seven or eight characters. The language is accurate and elegant. The metaphor tactics named “bi xing” was inherited and imitated in the literature works of the later generation.
At the same time, the folk literature in the south was developed. Some of the folk songs are end up with the modal particles like “xi” or “si”. Those who study Chinese in China may be told that it was the main form of the songs of Chu. Another southern folk song is “wu ge” of Chu, which was related to the sacrifice. Therefore, it was full of the religions coloring.
The Book of Songs is very important in China. The information above is just some very brief introduction. If learners want to know more clearly about the Book of Songs, more details are needed.