Works that study and interpret the Classic of Poetry are beyond number. Among them, Bao Pengshan on Classic of Poetry is a unique one. The author tries to avoid the tedious historical facts and pursues “mental facts”, which means Bao does not analyze in a dull manner a poem’s author and the political ends it serves. Instead, he just expounds and reproduces the values contained in the poem, so as to arouse empathy among readers for the passionate life of Chinese ancestors over 2,000 years ago.
Values in the Classic of Poetry have been incorporated in the soul and cultural root of the Chinese nation, with the poetic narrations as their classic expressions. Deeply rooted in Chinese culture and cited and followed by the Chinese people, these classic expressions serve as the base on which we observe the world and reflect on our life. After centuries, they are still meaningful and can provide us with guidance to observe the world and reflect on ourselves. That is the true value of “classic”.