The stylistic development of Classical Chinese poetry consists of both literary and oral cultural processes. These are usually divided into certain standard periods or eras, in terms both of specific poems as well as characteristic styles these generally correspond to Chinese dynastic eras, per the traditional Chinese method of chronicling history. The poems preserved in written form the poetic literature. Parallel traditions of oral and traditional poetry known as popular or folk poems or ballads also exist. Some of these poems have been preserved in written form. Generally, folk type poems are anonymous, and many show signs of having been edited or polished in the process of recording them in written characters. The main source sources for the earliest preserved poems are the Classic of Poetry, or Shijing and the Songs of the South or, Chuci. Some individual pieces or fragments survive in other forms embedded, for example, in classical histories or other literature. Classic of Poetry ShijingeditShijing first verse by Qing Qianlong Emperor. Qing Dynasty. The literary tradition of Classical Chinese poetry begins with the Classic of Poetry, or Shijing, dated to early 1st millennium BC. According to tradition, Confucius 5. BCE 4. 79 BCE was the final editor of the collection in its present form, although the individual poems were mostly older than this. Burton Watson dates the anthologys main compilation date to about the 7th century BCE, with the poems having been collected over the previous four to five centuries before. This, among other factors, indicates a sustained cross class popularity for this type of poetry, including their characteristic four character per line meter. The Shijing tends to be associated with northern Chinese vocabulary and culture, and in particular with the great sage and philosopher Confucius this helped encourage the development of this type of poetry into the classic shi style, the literal meaning of Shijing. Despite their commendation by Confucius, there are no extant samples of any poetry of this style made within the next three hundred years. Songs of the South Chu Ciedit. Map of the Chu area, in one of its reconstructed historical configurations. Another early poetry collectiongenre is the Chu Ci dated to the Warring States period about 4. BCE, which is typified by various line lengths and the imagery and influence of the vernacular associated with the state of Chu, in southern China. One important part of this is the Li Sao, attributed to Qu Yuan. These poems from the State of Chu are among the most important of all Classical Chinese poetry, however, these poems and their style seem to have had less impact on Classical Chinese poetry, at least at first, than did the Shijing collection and style. Han dynastyedit. A Han Dynasty terracotta horse head 1st2nd century CE. The classic shi poetry, with its four character lines, was revived by Han and Three Kingdoms poets, to some extent. Among other poetic developments during the Han epoch was the development of a new form of shi poetry, dating from about the 1st century BCE, which initially consisted of five and later seven character lines. The development of this form of shi poetry occurred in conjunction with various other phenomena related to Han poetry. The new form of shi developed during the Han and the Jianan period would become known as gushi, or ancient style poetry. Music Bureau and folk balladseditThe Han dynasty witnessed major developments in Classical Chinese poetry, including both the active role of the imperial government in encouraging poetry through the Music Bureau and through its collection of Han dynasty folk ballads although some of these seem to have been subject to at least some post folk literary polishing, as in the case of the Shijing. In Chinese, Yuefu, Music Bureau, is synonymous with yuefu the poetry style, thus the term Yuefu6 has come to refer both to the Music Bureaus collected lyrics and to the genre of which they are representative and serve as a source of inspiration. Another important Han dynasty poetry collection is the Nineteen Old Poems. The Han Dynasty poetry is particularly associated with the fu, as opposed to the shi style of poetry or literature note, however, that this fu is a different word than the fu meaning government bureau in the term yuefu sometimes spelled Yeh Fu, or similarly. One exponent of this style was Sima Xiangru. Jianan poetryedit. A Ming Dynasty portrayal of Cao Cao. Jianan poetry refers to those poetic movements occurring during the final years of the failing Han Dynasty and continuing their development into the beginning of the Six Dynasties period. Jianan is considered as a separate period because this is one case where the poetic developments fail to correspond with the neat categories aligned to chronology by dynasty. Typical poets of this period are Cao Cao, Cao Pi, Cao Zhi, and Xu Gan. One of the more important poetic developments of this period is toward the odd number, fixed length verse styles also typical of the Tang poetry period. As a result, some of the poetic forms often associated with Tang poetry can be traced back developmentally to some of the forms developed during the Jianan period. Six Dynasties poetryeditThe Six Dynasties 2. Classical Chinese poetry, especially emphasizing romantic love, gender roles, and human relationships, and including the important collection New Songs from the Jade Terrace. The Six Dynasties era covers three main periods the Three Kingdoms 2. Jin Dynasty 2. 654. Southern and Northern Dynasties 4. The Three Kingdoms period was a violent one, a characteristic sometimes reflected in the poetry or highlighted by the poets seeking refuge from the social and political turmoil by retreating into more natural settings, as in the case of the Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove. The Jin Dynasty era was typified poetically by, for example, the Orchid Pavilion Gathering of 4. Midnight Songs poetry and, Tao Yuanming, the great and highly personal poet who was noted for speaking in his own voice rather than a persona. Some of the highlights of the poetry of the Northern and Southern Dynasties include the Yongming poets, the anthology collection New Songs from the Jade Terrace, and Su Huis Star Gauge. Sui and Tang dynasties poetryeditSui poetryedit. Sui Dynasty Pilgrim Flask. Although poetry continued to be written, and certain poets rose in prominence while others disappeared from the landscape, the brief Sui Dynasty 5. CE lacks distinction in terms of the development of Chinese poetry though it nonetheless represents a continuity between the Six Dynasties and the poetry of Tang. Sui dynasty poets include Yang Guang 5.