Classic of Poetry

The Classic of Poetry is an early Chinese poetry collection traditionally associated with Confucius as an editor. Written in Old Chinese, it brings together 305 poems dated to the 11th to 7th centuries BC. It is considered the oldest surviving collection of Chinese poetry and is counted among the Five Classics, which helped make it a central text in scholarly tradition across China and East Asia.

This book suits readers interested in classical Chinese literature, ancient language, and the way poetry can also serve as a historical and cultural record. It is not a narrative book, but a collection built around short, compact pieces that reward slow reading and attention to sound and form. If you like texts that sit at the center of a literary tradition and connect poetry with later study of language, this is a strong place to start.