The Bell and the Drum

The Bell and the Drum: Shih Ching as Formulaic Poetry in an Oral Tradition examines the poetic and oral traditions of ancient Chinese poetry, particularly the Shih Ching (Book of Songs). The study explores how the form of Shih Ching reflects its origins in oral composition, focusing on its acoustic patterns, formulaic phrases, and thematic structures. By identifying these features as integral to the poetry’s dynamic and organic nature, the author highlights the interplay between musical accompaniment, such as the bell and drum, and the poet's imaginative freedom. This perspective seeks to recover the "naïveté"—a spontaneous and natural quality—of the poetry as it was originally experienced by its audience.

The book advocates for a comparative approach to analyzing Shih Ching, drawing on methodologies from oral-formulaic studies in Greek and Old English poetry. It challenges conventional interpretations that prioritize prosodic or rhetorical analysis, instead emphasizing the formulaic and thematic elements shaped by oral traditions. With its focus on the dynamic evolution of poetic forms and its indebtedness to interdisciplinary scholarship, the study invites readers to appreciate Shih Ching as both a historical artifact and a living cultural tradition, rich with acoustic and imaginative resonance.

This title is part of UC Press's Voices Revived program, which commemorates University of California Press’s mission to seek out and cultivate the brightest minds and give them voice, reach, and impact. Drawing on a backlist dating to 1893, Voices Revived makes high-quality, peer-reviewed scholarship accessible once again using print-on-demand technology. This title was originally published in 1974.