On the Artistic Features of “Feng Poetry” through an Analysis of the Ballad Structure

The author reexamines the characteristics of the lyrical poetry in Poetry Guo Feng by making a comparison between Feng poetry and the ballads recorded in Pre-Qin Books. He points out that a ballad is the direct expressions of the poet, who makes a reaction to something happened. Both Feng poetry and the ballads are lyrics that either express emotions or describe an isolated act or scenery. They do not portray the whole process of a story. In order to identify the theme and find out what engaged the poet’s attention for his reaction in the poem, one must look for references outside the text. It is commonly accepted that poetry is beyond translation. Given the fact that any type of interpretation of Poetry is subjective, Qian argues that the introduction to Mao Poetry, which was created in the time closest to the period when Feng Poetry was compiled, remains to be reexamined for its scholarly significance.