ABSTRACT
The appreciation of Chinese literature requires a widespread and solid grounding in Chinese culture. For instance, in the appreciation of poetry and ballads there are many parallels with the artistic theories of painting and calligraphy. Traditional Chinese art puts a lot of emphasis on the word empty, and postulates that wherever there is emptiness there is actuality. The pursuit of the meaning outside the words of Chinese literature is exactly the same in essence as the actuality in the emptiness and white presenting itself as black. A knowledge of foreign literatures is also necessary for a complete appreciation of Chinese literature, from the angle of comparison. Whether the comparison is between works of the same genre, works with the same theme or works of the same epoch, it is always useful for literary appreciation. The Chinese poems are lined up under the headings Spring, Autumn, Summer and Winter, while Japanese poems are arranged under headings Autumn, Spring, Winter and Summer.
