“Old and New,” “Raw and Ripe,” and “Novel and Fresh”: The Concept of Originality in Traditional Chinese Literary Theory and Criticism

Abstract This article traces development of three sets of terms about originality in traditional Chinese literary theory and criticism: xingu 新故 (old and new), shengshu 生熟 (raw and ripe), and shengxin 生新 (novel and fresh). It argues, first, that the transition from xingu to shengshu during the period from the Southern dynasties to the Song transforms the conception of originality from a dichotomy of two opposing values to a spectrum of degrees of valuation; and second, that the subsequent emergence of the term shengxin indicates the limitation of sheng as a term. By emphasizing the balance between the familiar and unfamiliar and by cautiously pursuing the effects of novelty and freshness in literary composition, traditional Chinese critics have given the idea of originality a full and nuanced treatment.