Chinese literature: Styles of Literature

Over time, the nature of the language in which the literature of China was written diverged sharply, producing two main styles of writing, one composed in a specifically literary language and the other in the vernacular. Both strands produced their own very different styles of literature, and both styles reflected their own characteristic language.

Sections in this article:

• Introduction
• Literature in the Communist Era
• The Early Twentieth Century
• Vernacular Style
• Literary Style
• Styles of Literature
• Early Writing and Literature
• Bibliography

The Columbia Electronic Encyclopedia, 6th ed. Copyright © 2024, Columbia University Press. All rights reserved.

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