Two Ages, One Agenda? Zhu Xi’s Rules of Interpretation Versus Wang Yi’s Exegesis of the Songs of Chu

It is a particular feature of the exegetical tradition to the Songs of Chu (Chuci) that, at least during its first millennium, intellectual shifts within the existing commentaries can hardly be made out. While different opinions and understandings can definitely be seen in works of many poets and literati living during the period from the Han to the Song dynasties, the surviving commentaries without exception are sub-commentaries to the commentary by Wang Yi (around 100 c.e.), the Chuci zhangju (Section-and-sentence Commentary to the Songs of Chu). ¹ Herein lies one reason why traditional and modern scholars alike regard Zhu Xi’s Chuci jizhu (Annotated Collection of the Songs of Chu) as the first major break from this tradition of subcommentary writing. The Song-dynasty philosopher not only edited and rearranged the Songs of Chu, but also substantially modified the commentary of Wang Yi, employing material from a variety of other sources.