Page:A history of Chinese literature - Giles.djvu/66

 54 CHINESE LITERATURE

As has been stated above, the poems of this school are irregular in metre ; in fact, they are only approximately metrical. The poet never ends his line in deference to a prescribed number of feet, but lengthens or shortens to suit the exigency of his thought. Similarly, he may rhyme or he may not. The reader, however, is never conscious of any want of art, carried away as he is by flow of language and rapid succession of poetical imagery.

Several other poets, such as Chia I and Tung-fang So, who cultivated this particular vein, but on a somewhat lower plane, belong to the second century B.C., thus over- lapping a period which must be regarded as heralding the birth of a new style rather than occupied with the passing of the old.

It may here be mentioned that many short pieces of doubtful age and authorship some few unquestionably old have been rescued by Chinese scholars from various sources, and formed into convenient collections. Of such is a verse known as " Yao's Advice." Yao being the legendary monarch mentioned in chapter ii., who is associated with Shun in China's Golden Age :

" With trembling heart and cautious steps

Walk daily in fear of God. . . Though you never trip over a mountain, You may often trip over a clod."

There is also the husbandman's song, which enlarges upon the national happiness of those halcyon days :

" Work, work j from the rising sun Till sunset comes and the day is done I plough the sod And harrow the clod, And meat and drink both come to me t So what care I for the powers that be t "

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