Ci (poetry)

Ci poetry (詞, interchangeable with 辭 pinyin cí) is a kind of lyric Chinese poetry. Beginning in the Liang Dynasty, the ci followed the tradition of the Shi Jing and the yue fu: they were lyrics which developed from anonymous popular songs (some of Central Asian origin) into a sophisticated literary genre. The form was further developed in the Tang Dynasty, and was most popular in the Song Dynasty. The word "ci" is pronounced somewhat like "tsih".

Related Topics:
Pinyin - Lyric - Chinese poetry - Liang Dynasty - Shi Jing - Yue fu - Central Asia - Tang Dynasty - Song Dynasty

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Ci most often expressed feelings of desire, often in an adopted persona, but the greatest exponents of the form (such as Li Houzhu and Su Shi) used it to address a wide range of topics.

Related Topics:
Persona - Li Houzhu - Su Shi

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Typically the number of characters in each line and the arrangement of tones were determined by one of around 800 set patterns, each associated with a particular title. They were written to be sung to a tune, which was also determined by the title.

Related Topics:
Character - Tone

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