Ritual Poetry. "book Of Songs Study

The first paetic collection-The Boook of songs in our country includes more than 40 poems for offering sacrifices to gods or ancestors during shang zhou dynasty . As one sort of religious literature, these poems reflect the religious thought , etiquette system and aesthetic standards of that period.Through the exploration of these poems in The Book of songs, we are able to discover the religious thought displays a kind of "one god" concept stemming from the union of gods and ancestors in Yin Shang Dynasty. The admiration of affering sacnf ices to gods or ancestors and of superstition coincide with the worship of violence and military power. To sane degree , Zhou people inherit the religious concept of "God' s will" in Yin Shang Dynasty. At the same time, they define "God' s will" in terms of morality. God and ancestors are departed,but they pay more attention to reality and people.In order to adapt itself to the change of religious concept in Shang Zhou Dynasty, Zhou people absorbe the concrete, detailed links from the concrete, detailed links from the etiquette system in Yin Shang Dynasty and thus develop it to a more mature stage. Simultaneously, the use of these poems undergoes a progress from group singing toindividual singing in etiquette system of Zhou Dynasty.Meanwhile, these poems embrace the aesthetic standards of Shang Zhou people.The most striking feather in it is Zhou people' s gentility and reconciliation, toghther with the serious statement of the objective of affering sacrifice. In the meantime, thequatrain patterm expresses the regular, harmonious concept. We can interprete this concept from two respective aspects the harmony between god and man, etiquette and music. In this concept, it contains the enomorous change of Zhou peoiple' s thought and aesthetic appreciation. Key words:The Book of songs;poems for affering sacrifices to . gods or ancestors;religious concept, etiquette system, aesthetic standards.