The Elevation of Belles Lettres I 285
ent from refined writing. Within them, however, there are commentaries (zanlun) strewn with ele­
gant expressions and prefaces (xu) adorned with literary brilliance. [In these subgenres], the depic­
tion of events is born of deep contemplation, and the locus of principles lies in the domain of
refined phrases. Therefore, these subgenres are mixed and collected with poetical works in this
anthology.
This anthology traces far back to the Zhou house and ends with this sacred dynasty, and con­
tains a total of thirty volumes. It is entitled Selections ef Refined Writing. It is organized in the order
of genres, under which all works are grouped, Since the forms of the shi poetry and the ju poetry
are different, I have further divided them by category. Within each generic category, I have
arranged the works in a chronological sequence.