Toward a Quantitative Approach to the Specialness of Poetry: Taking Chang Hen Ge and Chang Hen Ge Zhuan as a Case Study

The differences of linguistic features between Chang Hen Ge ( Ge) and Chang Hen Ge Zhuan ( Zhuan) have rarely been mentioned in the relevant fields. Nevertheless, these differences can best highlight the specialness of poetry, for the two works were written contemporaneously by two friends on the same subject, in distinct styles. This article employs quantitative methods and indicators to provide empirical evidence for the specialness of Ge through comparisons between the two. The results show that, on the premise of expressing the same subject in different styles, Ge does have certain linguistic characteristics compared with Zhuan. Its particularity is reflected not only in fewer repeat characters and words but also in their richness, as well as in the use of more content words and fewer function words. Moreover, all of these characteristics have had a great influence on Ge’s artistic level and dissemination. Through this study, we hope that our methods provide a new perspective and shed some light on this area.