
"The Golden Age", in the history of any civilization, is characterized
by its artistic and literary achievements. When one mentions the dynasty
of Tang, poetry is what immediately comes to mind. The most revered
poets have come from this period, and their poetry continues to be
studied and memorized by every student in China, beginning from as
early as first grade, or even in the kindergarten years. As a matter
of fact, the bestseller, 300 Tang Poems is as commonplace to a household
as a dictionary. In this compilation, 310 of the best pieces by the
most accomplished poets of Tang are represented.
Tang poems usually deal with the relationship of humans to natural
surroundings, written in 7 primary forms:
5-character-ancient-verse
5-character-regular verse
5-character-quatrain
7-character-ancient-verse
7-character-regular-verse
7-character-quatrain
folk-song-styled-verse
Many of the Tang poems are tied to social occasions, although some
are more formal and exist in a pure lyric form. Stylistic changes
occurred continuously within the dynasty, dividing it into three periods:
High Tang, Middle Tang, and Late Tang. Towards the end of the dynasty,
writing progressed towards prose, which characterized the following
dynasty, the Song.