Synopsis of the Contents of Collected Qing Poetry and Prose: Its Correction and Supplement

It is meaningful to make correction and supplement regarding Synopsis of the Contents of Collected Qing Poetry and Prose, or Qingren Shiwenji Zongmu Tiyao(referred to as the Synopsis hereinafter)which, written by Ke Yuchun recently, has so far represented the greatest achievement regarding the philology of Qing poetry and prose. However, what remain to be corrected and supplemented in the Synopsis are the most difficult as well as most important. For example, the years of birth and death concerning the poets, which involves information arrangement. Information about ten Qing poets that the author of the paper has collected from other books is provided below.(1) The years of birth and death about Gong Xian (1686-May 3,1735) are provided according to Volume 6, Essays by Liunan by his fellow villager Wang Yingkui, whose literary name is Liunan. (2) The Synopsis only mentions the age of 30 at which Shen Chuangong passed away. But the exact years of his birth and death are provided according to our research on a special book by a friend of Shen’s.(3) The years of Xu Fengji’s birth and death are not available in the Synopsis. Based on the special monograph by Andrew Hsieh, Professor of History with Grinnell College, and Mr. She Yue Fung, a teacher with the Chinese University of Hong Kong, Xu’s birth year and his nearly correct year of death are found out. (4) The years of birth and death of Chen Mei (from Haining, Zhejiang) is provided according to the book of Chen’s uncle.(5) The approximate information about the years of birth and death of Wei Maolin is provided according to the later research. (6) The years of Gu Xuan’s birth and death are given after research: it is 1796-1844 instead of 1790-1839 found in the Synopsis. Possibly, the new information provided is not so exact. (7) Zhu Qi (from Wanping County, Shuntian—— the then capital of China)is found the similar case with Gu Xuan.(8) Jin Jingmao also has a similar case as above.(9) He Naiying’s birth year and his nearly correct year are provided. He died at an age above 67.(10) For Lai Yuxun, there is no information at all about Lai’s years of birth and death as well as some of his life story. Based on the collection of poems by Lai himself, all these are discovered, including his experience in Zhejiang University as both a student and a teacher.