An Overture to the study of Chinese Poetry

1. An Overture to the study of Chinese Poetry • 1. Chinese take poetry very seriously. It is the main focus of intellectual development and moral refinement. At the CENTER of Chinese politics and cultural life is MORALITY. How to get there? Practice rites, listen to music, and READING POETRY. • 2. Chinese poetry unites both folk traditions—folk songs, popular music—and serious learning. Poetry is everybody. • 3. Chinese poetic forms developed early, and provided a foundation of aesthetic principles that have lasted to the present day.

2. Pre-Qin Literature 先秦文學 /Poetry • The pre-Qin period of Chinese literature extends from the early Zhou (approximately twelfth century B. C.) to the founding of the Qin in 221 B. C. • In poetry, two books stand out: • Shijing or The Book of Songs (North) • Chuci or Songs of the South (South)

3. Status of Poetry in China • Unraveled in history; • Shijing as the fountainhead; • Shijing as a Confucian Classic; • Shijing as an essential part of Confucian; educational program; • Poetic composition as a medium of self-expression/social criticism/career advanement, but most importantly, self-attainment;

4. Major Themes in Poetry • Love and courtship • The beautiful woman • The Abandoned Woman (3600 concubines) • Eulogy and Admonition • The Wandering Man • Nature: landscape and farming/reclusion • The world of imagination: imagined journey to the celestial world/remembrance • Transcendental Roaming

5. Types of Chinese PoetryMajor Genres • 1. Shi Poetry Shijing--“Songs of the North” (Arthur Waley’s translation) featured more with realism, less with romanticism; peaked during the Tang dynasty, most particular about tonal manipulations; • 2. Sao Poetry or Chuci--reached its peak by Qu Yuan and Song Yu in The Songs of the South (David Hawkes’ translation); It is marked by extensive use of its signature pause-indicating word xi兮【xī】(part.); and the origin of romanticism; Sao is closely connected with Fu in the Han Dynasty. • 风骚【fēngsāo】 <formal> literary excellence; • Allusion to Shijing and Chuci.

6. Major Genres in Chinese Poetry • 3. Fu, best executed by Sima Xiangru (179–117 BC) and Yang Xiong (53 BCE–18) in the Han dynasty (Weatern Han 206 B.C.–09 A.D.) and the Eastern or Later Han (25–220 A. D.) ; Divided by subject matter and length, fu has two subgenres: Larger/small fu: larger fu is like Chinese imperial gardens for its encyclopedic depiction; small fu is known for its lyrical intensity, more like a delicate but intricate private scholar garden; • For best translations, see David R. Knechtges;

7. Major Genres in Poetry • 4. Ci, usually divided by length into short song lyrics (xiaoling 小令, 58 to 62 words) and long song lyrics (manci 慢词, 90 words up) most dominant in the Song dynasty; • 5. Qu, matured in the Yuan dynasty; Yuan song poems (sanqu 散曲) are one of the best known subgenres.

8. Shi (Poetry) • Shijing, mostly Tetrasyllabic (a collection of 305 poems from the early Western Zhou to the middle of the Chunqiu, Spring and Autumn, period--eleventh to sixth centuries BCE). Classical, elevated, and elegant… • Airs/Feng 風, Odes/Ya 雅, Hymns/Song 頌 • Tang Poetry, tonally regulated, best reflects the nature of the Chinese language, a tonal language, further divided into pentasyllabic and heptasyllabic • Regulated Verse/Lǜshī 律詩 • Quatrains/juéjù 絕句

9. Shijing • Wade-Giles romanization  Shih-ching the first anthology of Chinese poetry, around 600 BC. It was arguably compiled by the ancient sage Confucius (551–479 BC) and cited by him as a model of literary expression, for, despite its numerous themes, the subject matter was always “expressive of pleasure without being li’centious, and of grief without being hurtfully excessive” (Lunyu or The Analects). • The book contains 305 poems that are classified as popular songs/ballads (feng, “wind” 风), courtly songs (ya, “elegant” 雅), or eulogies (song 颂). • Four versions of the Shijing came into existence after the Qin dynasty ruler Shihuangdi ordered the famous burning of the books in 213 BC. The only surviving version contains introductory remarks by Mao Chang, a scholar who flourished in the 2nd century BC.

10. The Classic of Songs詩經【shījīng】 • Mao Shi Zheng jian 毛诗郑笺 • Zheng’s Notes on the Mao Text of the Book of Poetry • This edition includes the Mao Commentary and annotations by Zheng Xuan (127-200 in the Eastern Han dynasty). Zheng Xuan probably was the first to combine the Mao prefaces with the Mao Commentary. This edition was more or less orthodox until the Song dynasty.

11. Mao Heng 毛亨, a Student of Xunzi or Xun Kuang • The received text of the Shi jing is the Mao shi version. The Mao shi purports to represent a tradition of interpretation that originated with a man named Mao Heng, who lived in the third or second century BC. He was a student of the disciples of Xunzi 荀子 (ca. 312–230 BC) .

12. Two Types of Commentary • The Mao shi contains a detailed commentary to the entire text. The Mao commentary purports to combine two types of commentary, guxun 故训、and zhuan 传, both of which were common during the Han dynasty. • The guxun故训 type of commentary is primarily a linguistic commentary and mainly explains the meaning and pronunciation of words in a text. • A Zhuan传 attempts to provide a paraphrase and to interpret what is implied in the text. Often this type of commentary contains moral and political interpretations.

13. Mao shi zhengyi 毛诗正义 • Mao shi zhengyi 毛诗正义 • This is the standard version of the Mao shi Zheng jian. In addition to the Mao Commentary and Zheng Xuan’s notes, it contains a long sub-commentary done by a committee of scholars working under the direction of Kong Yingda (574-648). See Van Zoeren, Poetry and Personality, 1991 (116-50)

14. Airs/Feng 風, • Feng refers to the first section of the Shijing, which contains 160 poems that reputedly originated or were sung in some 15 states. The “Greater Preface” 大序 defines feng as jiao 教, teaching, and stresses the idea that feng are moral lessons taught by superiors to inferiors, and admonitions offered by inferiors to superiors. Thus, James Legge translated Guo Feng 国风 as Lessons from the States (15). • Another meaning of feng is custom and some scholars have argued that the Guo Feng contains songs that are illustrative of regional customs. • Feng is also a musical term. Zhu Xi朱熹(1130-1200) explained it as meaning “popular song.”

15. 風/諷, a Pun • Latin: Suasio (feng)/Folk Songs;/persuasion • Suasion–noun1.the act of advising, urging, or attempting to persuade; persuasion. • 2.an instance of this; a persuasive effort. • 風/諷【fěng】 satirize; mock; A poem, or in modern use sometimes a prose composition, in which prevailing vices or follies are held up to ‘ridicule.

16. Odes/Ya 雅 • The Ya section consists of 105 songs and is divided into two parts, Xiao ya the LesserElegantiae (Mao Shi 161-234) and Da ya, the Greater Elegantiae (235-265). The word ya雅 was used in Zhou times interchangebly with xia夏, Ya also means orthodox or to correct or (zheng 正) and perhaps indicates that these songs were the proper songs that were performed only at the Zhou court. Ya further has the sense of elegant and dignified, and in this sense it may refer to the solemn and elegant setting in which the song were performed—the Zhou court and ceremonial hall. Finally it is possible that ya was used in a multiple sense: the ya songs are the orthodox, refined court songs of the royal Zhou state (Xia)

17. Xiao ya & Da ya • Xiao ya 小雅, Lesser Elegance, • Mao shi 161-234; • It contains more folk songs; • Da ya 大雅, Greater Elegance, • Mao shi 235-265; • It is dominated by many ritual and sacrificial odes. However, Some scholars treat the ya section as a single unit.

18. Hymns/Song 頌 • The Song section includes 40 poems (Mao shi 266-305). Song means eulogy or hymn of praise. However, the word song, Old Chinese also is defined as equivalent of rong 容, demeanor (facial appearance; mien) , countenance, gesture. In this sense, song may designate musical pieces that are associated with ritual dances.

19. Aesthetic Principles in Shijing 诗经的美学原则 • 1. Fu 赋 means Expositio, Latin (fu)/ • Exposition; to lay something bare and plain by description. • Many commentators follow Zheng Xuan, who explains fu as display. In this sense, fu refers to lines of poetry or whole poems that contain elements of narration, exposition, description or enumeration. They may include figurative language, but the form of expression is usually plain and direct.

20. Zhu Xi 朱熹 on Jing Nǚ 静女 (Mao 42) • Zhu Xi (1130-1200) in his Shi ji zhuan specifies lines and stanzas of poems that he considers to be in the fu mode. Many of these are long poems in the Xiao ya and Da ya sections that praise rulers and cultural heroes. Some fu pieces are short narratives such as the familiar poem Jing nǚ (Mao 42)

21. A Song Dynasty (960-1279) Confucian scholar who became the leading figure of the School of Principle and the most influential rationalist Neo-Confucian in China. His contribution to Chinese philosophy included his assigning special significance to the Analects of Confucius, the Mencius, the Great Learning, and the Doctrine of the Mean (the Four Books), his emphasis on the investigation of things, and the synthesis of all fundamental Confucian concepts. Zhu Xi 朱熹1130-1200

22. Jing nǚ 靜女 (Mao 42)Quiet/Refined/Shy and Retiring • The good girl is beautiful, • She waits for me at the corner of the wall. (low-profile) • I love her but do not see her; (my view is blocked by the wall, trees?) • I scratch my head and pace back and forth. (Fu mode/direct description for something external; but indirect for psychological activities. • The good girl is lovely; • She gave me a vermilion pipe. • The red pipe glistens brightly; • I delight in the girl’s beauty. • From the pasture she presented me a reed shoot; • It is truly beautiful and unusual. • It is not because you are beautiful [that I praise you], • But because you are the gift of a beautiful girl.

23. Speaker’s Story Time 1. A waiting moment; 2. Flashback to the previous date 3. Flashback to another meeting Reader’s Reconstructed Event Time (Chronology) 1. First date/love token--reed shoot, off-handedly plucked from the site of their rendezvous; 2. Second date/love token—vermillion pipe, a carefully prepared present; 3. Waiting before this meeting (selective/suggestive scenes) 4. This meeting (Untold) Narrative SequenceEvent Time vs. Narrative Time

24. Apostrophe –noun in Rhetoric. a digression in the form of an address to someone not present, or to a personified object or idea, as “O Death, where is thy sting?” 睹物思人【dǔwùsīrén】 seeing the thing one thinks of the person - the thing reminds one of its owner. Thus a fusion is created. Anadiplosis (使用关键字眼，尤指最后一词) 重复法；蝉联法/in Chinese, it means “linking pearls” 连珠 repetition in the first part of a clause or sentence of a prominent word from the latter part of the preceding clause or sentence, usually with a change or extension of meaning. Apostrophe & Anadi’plosisTwo Rhetorical Devices

25. 【留/空白艺术】The Art of Leaving a Blank Space in Poetry/Painting • Less for More—Leaving Room for Imagination • We can only see a brief moment of the dating scene; highly selective and suggestive; • Homer on how beautiful Helen of Troy is—a face that could launch a thousand ships… • …small wonder—instead of direct description, Homer chose to describe the influence of Helen’s beauty; • Maya Lin’s design of the Vietnam Veterans Memorial-- was unconventional, departing from traditional realistic representations of soldiers in combat gear. Instead of depicting soldiers realistically in action, Lin opted for a more symbolic design, with a long, black, shiny granite wall incised with the names of all soldiers who died in the war.

26. The Memorial Walldesigned by Maya Lin, made up of two black granite walls 246 feet 9 inches (75 m) long.

27. Lower than the groundLike two Black mirrorsA Fracture across the EarthAn Open Wound; An Open History Book

28. In 1981, at age 21, Lin won a public design competition for the Vietnam Veterans Memorial, beating out 1,420 other competition submissions. The black cut-stone masonry wall, with the names of 58,261 fallen soldiers carved into its surface, was completed in late October 1982 and dedicated on November 13, 1982. The wall is granite and V-shaped, with one side pointing to the Lincoln Memorial and the other to the Washington Monument. Maya Lin/ “Queen of Death”A Strong Clear VisionA documentary film, 1994

29. Lin Huiyin, Maya Lin’s Aunt1904 -1955 • A noted 20th century Chinese architect and writer. She is said to be the first female architect in China. Her niece is Maya Lin. • From a rich family, Lin Huiyin received the best education a woman could obtain at that time, studying both in Europe and America. She attended St Mary's College in London, and she had been adored by the well known Chinese poet Xu Zhimo whom is thought as the most famous romantic story in 20th century of China.

30. Lin Huiyin vs. Xu Zhimo

31. Xu Zhimo1897 - 1931 (died at 36 of a plane crash on his way to attend Lin Huiyin’s lecture in Beijing) • In memory of Xu Zhimo, in July, 2008, a white marble stone has been installed at the back of King's College, University of Cambridge, on which is inscribed Xu's best-known poem, “Second Farewell to Cambridge.”

32. 輕輕的我走了， 正如我輕輕的來； 我輕輕的招手， 作別西天的雲彩。 那河畔的金柳， 是夕陽中的新娘； 波光裡的艷影， 在我的心頭蕩漾。 軟泥上的青荇， 油油地在水底招搖； 在康河的柔波裡， 我甘心做一條水草！ 那榆蔭下的一潭， 不是清泉，是天上虹； 揉碎在浮藻間， 沉澱著彩虹似的夢。 尋夢？撐一支長篙， 向青草更青處漫溯； 滿載一船星輝， 在星輝斑斕裡放歌。 但我不能放歌， 悄悄是別離的笙簫； 夏蟲也為我沉默， 沉默是今晚的康橋！ 悄悄的我走了， 正如我悄悄的來； 我揮一揮衣袖， 不帶走一片雲彩。 Quietly I am leaving Just as quietly I came; Quietly I wave a farewell To the clouds in the western sky. The golden willow on the riverbank, A bride in the setting sun; Her colorful reflection Ripples through my heart. The green plants on the riverbed, So lush and so gracefully swaying; In the gentle current of the Cam I’d be happy to remain a waterweed. The pool under the elm’s shade Is not a creek, but a rainbow in the sky Crushed among the floating green, Settling into a colorful dream. In search of a dream? You pole a tiny boat Toward where the green is even more green To collect a load of stars, as songs Rise in the gleaming stellar light. But tonight my voice fails me; Silence is the best tune of farewell; Even crickets are still for me, And still is Cambridge tonight. Silently I am going As silently I came; I shake my sleeves, Not to take away a patch of cloud. Second Farewell to Cambridge trans. by Michelle Yehin Modern Chinese Poetry, 1991

33. Liang Sicheng 梁思成(20 April 1901– 9 January 1972) • the son of Liang Qichao 梁启超, a well-known Chinese thinker in the late Qing Dynasty. Liang Sicheng graduated from University of Pennsylvania. His first wife was Lin Huiyin and his niece is Maya Lin.

34. 畫蛇添足【huàshétiānzú】 draw a snake and add feet to it - ruin the effect by adding sth. Su’perfluous. • The story goes that two friends, with one bottle of wine make a bet for it, instead of sharing it. Mr. A did his painting in a flash. When he looked at his opponent, he was gloating over his friend’s slowness. Out of his fancy, he added four feet to the snake, thinking he could come out the first even after adding something extra. Just at this moment, his rival completed his drawing. Grabbing the bottle, Mr. B drank it down triumphantly. When Mr. A protested, Mr. B shrugged his shoulders: “Brother, a snake doesn’t have any feet.”

35. “Her First Rendezvous” Forms of Love • On her first date, Lingyun was hiding behind some bamboo grove in Zhongshan (Dr. Sun Yat Sen ) Park (in Beijing), peering in the direction of her designated meeting place. Purple lilacs, bathed in thin, dim moonlight, sent out a faint fragrance. There he was, Comrade Welcome. One moment, he would take off his glasses with lenses as thick as that of a beer bottle, pretending to adjust them or wipe them with a piece of cloth. At another moment he would scratch his ears. When he turned around, looking in another direction, Lingyun tiptoed to his back about two feet apart, stood at full attention, touching her right hand upon her army cap: “Salute! Comrade Welcome.” • Surprised, Huanying turned around, laughing. • “What a naughty girl you are. You scared me to death.” • She chuckled, “who is a naughty girl? I am a soldier boy.” • Indeed. Dressed up in an army uniform with her two shoulder-length pigtails tugged into the cap, Lingyun looked just like a solider boy.

36. 2. Bi 比Comparatio (bi)/analogy • The basic meaning of bi is comparison or analogy. Scholars offered differing interpretations of exactly what bi means as a general principle in Chinese poetics, or how it differs from xing. However, in Shijing commentary and criticism, the bi usually is understood as an explicit, direct metaphor or comparison used by the poet to establish a connection between two things. The comparison is usually between human and natural worlds. Zhu Xi, for example, identifies the stanzas of Mao shi 104 as bi. He interprets the poem as directed against Duke Zhuang of Lu 鲁庄公, who was unable to control the wanton behavior of his mother, the widow Wen Jiang 文姜 who committed incest with her brother, a lord of the state of Qi. Thus, the poet uses the analogy of the worn out fish basket.

37. “Bi Gou” Mao shi 104 • Worn out is the basket at the dam, • And the fishes are the bream and false salmon. • The daughter of Qi has returned, • With a cloud of attendants. • Worn out is the basket at the dam, • And the fishes are the bream and the tench. [1] • The daughter of Qi has returned, • With a shower of attendants. • Worn out is the basket at the dam, • And the fishes go in and out freely. • The daughter of Qi has returned, • With a stream of attendants.

38. Xing, evocative image, stimulus, the associative mode • 3. Xing 兴 is called Exhor’tatio, Latin (xing)/ • The xing is the most ambiguous and difficult to define of the fu-bi-xing triad. In its basic form, the xing is an image, usually drawn from nature that evokes a certain emotion, or conveys a particular moral or political meaning. The term xing is variously translated evocative image, stimulus, the associative mode, allegory. • The xing is the only member of the fu-bi-xing triad that the Mao Commentary identifies. A good example of xing is the first poem of the Shijing. The ospreys on the islet are considered to evoke associations with ‘conjugal harmony’. To some commentators, they also represent the ideal marriage, and by extension, serve as an example of virtuous conduct by the wife of King Wen of Zhou.

39. Guan guan, cry the osprey pair On their narrow river islet. An elegant lady, pure and fair, A perfect match for a prince. 关关雎鸠， 在河之洲。 窈窕淑女， 君子好逑。 The reader hear the sound of the bird first before seeing it. What difference does it make if we reverse the order? The Ospreys Cry (1)

40. Wild watercress, To the left and right we follow it. An elegant lady, pure and fair, Awake or asleep, he yearns for her. Seeks her but does not find her, Waking or sleeping, he thinks of her. Long and long, Turning from side to side. Wild watercress, To the left and right we gather it. An elegant lady, pure and fair, By qin and se, befriend her. Wild watercress, To the left and right we choose it. An elegant lady, pure and fair, With bells and drums, delight her. Qin琴: A seven string plucked instrument; se瑟: a 27 string plucked instrument. Lute or zither-like. 参差荇菜，左右流之。 窈窕淑女，寤寐求之。 求之不得，寤寐思服。 悠哉悠哉，辗转反侧。 参差荇菜，左右采之。 窈窕淑女，琴瑟友之。 参差荇菜，左右芼之。 窈窕淑女，钟鼓乐之。 Significance in the SequenceThe First Out of 305 Poems

41. Love vs. WarSequence and Consequencepresentation and representation • 1 The Osprey Cry • The first poem in Shijin is a love poem out of 305; • This editorial decision is not random. • 156 Eastern Hills • The song is a typical elliptical ballad in which themes are juxtaposed without explanation. • A soldier’s war experience is not glorified; • The first epic is a war story, Iliad

42. Tang feng (Mao shi 114-125) • Tang was the predecessor to the state of Jin. It was located in central Shanxi. The Tang feng contains twelve pieces, which probably date from the Eastern Zhou period. One of the best known pieces is a song on the theme of carpe diem theme. • Carpe diem is a phrase from a Latin poem by Horace. • (It is popularly translated as "seize the day". Carpe means "pick, pluck, pluck off, gather", but Horace uses the word to mean "enjoy, make use of."

43. In Horace, the phrase is part of the longer Carpe diem quam minime credula postero – "Seize the day, trusting as little as possible in the future", and the ode says that the future is unknowable, and that instead one should scale back one's hopes to a brief future, and drink one's wine. This phrase is usually understood against Horaces epicu’rean background. Seize the dayhttp://dictionary.reference.com/browse/Carpe+diem

44. The cricket is in the hall, The year is coming to an end. If we do not enjoy ourselves now, The days and months will quickly pass. 蟋蟀在堂， 岁聿其莫。 今我不乐， 日月其除。 Xishuai 蟋蟀 (Mao shi 114)

45. Qin feng (mao shi 126-135) • In the early Eastern Zhou, Qin occupied the area corresponding to modern central Shaanxi. The ten songs of the Qin feng are generally believed to have been written during this period. Subjects include hunting, warfare, and horses. A good example is Xiao rong (Mao shi 128), which contains a description of a magnificent war chariot. • The most famous piece of the Qin feng is Huang niao (Mao shi 131). When Duke Mu of Qin 秦穆公died in 621, 177 of his servitors were put to death to serve him in the grave. The poem is in three stanzas, and each stanza recounts the execution of a loyal follower (whose name is given) of the duke. In later Chinese poetry, there are a number of poems on this historical theme.

46. Kog kog call the yellow birds; They land in the jujube tree. Who accompanies Duke Mu? It is Ziju Yan Xi. Verily this Yan Xi Alone can withstand a hundred men. As he approaches the grave He trembles with fear. That blue heaven It kills all of our good men. If we could ransom him, A hundred men would take his place. 交交黄鸟, 止于棘。(棘之言"急",双关语) 谁从穆公？ 子车奄息。 维此奄息， 百夫之特。 临其穴， 惴惴其栗。 彼苍者天， 歼我良人！ 如可赎兮， 人百其身。 The First Stanza (131)

47. Kog kog call the yellow birds; They land in the mulberry, Who accompanies Duke Mu? It is ziju Zhonghang. Verily this Zhonghang Is a match for a hundred men. As he approaches the grave He trembles with fear. That blue heaven It kills all of our good men. If he could be ransomed, A hundred men would take his place. 交交黄鸟, 止于桑。(桑之言"丧",双关语。) 谁从穆公？ 子车仲行。 维此仲行， 百夫之防。 临其穴， 惴惴其栗。 彼苍者天， 歼我良人！ 如可赎兮， 人百其身。 The Second Stanza (131)

48. Kog kog call the yellow birds; They land in the thorns. Who accompanies Duke Mu? It is Ziju Qianhu Verily this qianhu Alone can resist a hundred men. As he approaches the grave He trembles with fear. That blue heaven It kills all of our good men. If he could be ransomed, A hundred men would take his place. 交交黄鸟, 止于楚。(言"痛楚"。亦为双关。) 谁从穆公？ 子车鍼虎。 维此鍼虎， 百夫之御。 临其穴， 惴惴其栗。 彼苍者天， 歼我良人！ 如可赎兮， 人百其身。 The Third Stanza (131)

49. Mausoleum of the First Qin Emperor Constructed from 246 BC to 208 BC, taking 39 years. The figures vary in height (183–195 cm - 6 ft–6 ft 5in), according to their role, the tallest being the generals. The figures include warriors, chariots, horses, officials, acrobats, strongmen, and musicians. Current estimates are that in the three pits containing the Terracotta Army there were over 8,000 soldiers, 130 chariots with 520 horses and 150 cavalry horses, the majority of which are still buried in the pits. 秦始皇兵馬俑【qínshǐhuángbīngmǎyǒng】 the Qinshihuang’s Terracotta Warriors, a more intelligent choice than (live) burial

50. Wen vs. WuPen or Sword? • In "Towards Defining a Chinese Heroism," C.H. Wang claims that Chinese literature has no epics because of the cultural predilection for Wen (wisdom). Throughout its history, Chinese culture consistently denigrated barbarity, barbarians, or Wu (violence).