Posted 2018/8/21
Sima's Shiji is respected as a model of biographical literature with high literary value, and still stands as a "textbook" for the study of classical Chinese worldwide. Sima's writings were influential to Chinese writing, and become a role model for various types of prose within the neo-classical ("renaissance" 复古) movement of the Tang-Song (唐宋) period. The great use of characterisation and plotting also influenced fictional writing, including the classical short stories of the middle and late medieval period (Tang-Ming), as well as the vernacular novel of the late imperial period.
The influence is derived from the following key elements of his writing:
Skillful depiction
Sima portrayed many distinguished subjects based on true historical information. He would illustrate the response of the subject by placing him in a sharp contrast or juxtaposition, and then letting his words and deeds speak for him. The use of conversations in his writing also makes the descriptions more vibrant and realistic.
Innovative approach
Sima's new approach in writing involved using language that was informal, humorous and full of variations. This was an innovative way of writing at that time and thus it has always been esteemed as the highest achievement of classical Chinese writing; even Lu Xun (鲁迅) regarded Shiji as "the unique work of all historians, the songs of Qu Yuan without rhyme." (史家之绝唱，无韵之离骚) in his Hanwenxueshi Gangyao (《汉文学史纲要》).
Concise language
The style was simple, concise, fluent, and easy-to-read. Sima made his own comments while recounting the historical events. In writing the biographies in Shiji, he avoided making general descriptions, and instead tried to catch the essence of the events. He would portray the subjects concretely, giving the readers vivid images with strong artistic appeal.
Other literary works
Apart from Shiji, Sima wrote a famous letter to his friend Ren An, in which expressed his suffering during the Li Ling Affair and his perseverance in writing Shiji. This letter is a highly-admired example of literary prose style and is widely studied in China even down to the present. Sima Qian had written eight rhapsodies (赋), which are listed in Hanshu bibliographic treatise. All but one of these have been lost. The only one to survive, the "Rhapsody in Lament for Gentleman who do not Meet their Time" 士不遇赋, is probably not complete.
