Exploring the Relationship Between Tao Yuanming’s Record of the Peach Blossom Spring and Poem of the Peach Blossom Spring : A Study of Ancient Chinese Literary Genre Perception
Among Tao Yuanming’s many poetic and prose writings, Record of the Peach Blossom Spring has long been recognized as a classical masterpiece and frequently included in anthologies of traditional Chinese prose. In contrast, Poem of the Peach Blossom Spring remains relatively obscure, with limited circulation and far less influence. Numerous interpretations have emerged concerning the relationship between the two texts. This paper investigates their connection through the lens of ancient Chinese literary genre conventions, textual comparison, and the impact of transmission and dissemination. It contends that Record of the Peach Blossom Spring functions as a preface to the poem, forming with it a unified literary whole. By analyzing varying scholarly perspectives, the paper further explores interpretive inaccuracies and underlying causes of confusion—such as divergent understandings of genre, textual content, and classification—alongside issues related to edition differences and educational transmission. In doing so, this study revisits prevailing misconceptions and highlights the need for renewed inquiry into ancient Chinese genre theory.
在东晋诗人陶渊明的众多诗文作品中,「桃花源记」是历代古文选本中的经典名篇,而 「桃花源诗」在后世的传播不广,知名度不高,没有「桃花源记」的影响力大。目前对陶渊明 「桃花源记」和「桃花源诗」二者关系有多种说法。本文试图从中国古代文体特征、创作背景 年代、文本对比、版本传播影响等方面去探究二者关系,认为:「桃花源记」是「桃花源诗」 之序,二者合成一个有机整体。本文还通过比较分析关于二者关系的诸多说法之正谬偏 差,并研究造成二者关系的复杂化的深层原因是:后人对文体性质和文本内容的不同理 解,以及版本影响差异问题与教育传播问题,尤其是对古代文体分类的认知差异问题。因 此,本文重审大众对中国古代文体的认知偏差,并强调中国古代文体学研究的重要性。