An article mainly composed of antithetical sentences (parallel prose) is called parallel prose. On the other hand, articles with non-antithetical sentences (scattered sentences) are called essays. Parallel prose, as a sentence pattern, spontaneously coexists, often collocates with each other and freely combines. Prose can have several parallel prose, and prose can also have several parallel prose. Prose parallel prose is not divided by whether there is parallel prose or not, but by quantity. It is right to say that parallel prose has existed since ancient times, but it is wrong to say that parallel prose has existed since ancient times, because sentences are not equal to articles.
Some scholars in the Qing Dynasty (such as Ruan Yuan) collected some antitheses from the pre-Qin ancient books such as Shangshu, Zhouyi and Shijing, which were regarded as parallel prose. They confuse the two different categories of style and sentence pattern. Modern and contemporary researchers sometimes have no clear distinction. Yu Jingxiang's Parallel Prose History regards quite a few essays as parallel prose, such as Liu Zongyuan's Travel Notes at the Beginning of the Western Hills Banquet, Yuan Jiake's Notes, Fan Zhongan's Yueyang Tower, Yan's Ancestral Hall, Li Gang's Country and Yue Fei's Five-Mountain Alliance. These works are not only regarded as excellent prose by contemporary anthologists, but also not included in various parallel prose anthologies in Qing Dynasty. Yu Xiansheng may have taken a fancy to the small number of antithetical sentences in it. If the antithesis is parallel prose, I'm afraid most of China's ancient articles can be regarded as parallel prose.
It should be pointed out that the difference between parallel prose and prose lies not only in the number of antithetical sentences, but also in the pursuit of article style. The "general preface" of Wang Zhijian's "Liu Si Fa Hai" in the Ming Dynasty said: "Ancient prose is like freehand brushwork of mountains and rivers, and couples are like painting towers." Qian Jibo, a modern scholar, pointed out: "If the main charm is not gorgeous, it will be elegant but not floating, which is different from prose. If you worship Lang, you will be relaxed if you are not arrogant and impetuous. If you are not hurt by stagnation, you will be separated from April 6. " Zhang Renqing, a scholar in Taiwan Province Province, said: "When a master of prose is full of momentum, he can say anything. Parallel prose is graceful, then graceful and swaying. " These insights are quite incisive. Zhang added: "Prose is derived from the beauty of masculinity, that is, the so-called magnificent people in this world; Parallel prose originates from feminine beauty, which is the so-called beauty in this world. " "The essayist thinks the article is so Ming Dow, so his attitude is serious and earnest. He regards the article as a practical tool. ..... In the eyes of parallel writers, the beauty of the article itself is the value of the article, so its attitude is indifferent and detached, and the article is used as a tool to express the spirit. " [5] This generalization may not be completely correct. There is no lack of masculine beauty and feminine beauty in parallel prose, such as Wang's For My Teacher's Class, and feminine beauty in prose, such as essays in the late Ming Dynasty. Parallel prose can also be applied to the world, such as Lu Zhi, and prose should also express the spirit, such as Jingling Public Security School. How to discuss the difference between parallel prose and prose from aesthetics is a new topic to be discussed.