Difference between revisions of "Qu Yuan"
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| − | [[File:Qu_Yuang.png|300px|thumb| | + | [[File:Qu_Yuang.png|300px|thumb|left|Qu Yuan. By Dcattell, public domain, retrieved from Wikimedia Commons. Click [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Qu_Yuan_2g.png here] for original source.]] |
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| − | =Commentary on Biography= | + | ==Commentary on Biography== |
| + | It is interesting that Qu Yuan was essentially “born into” politics. He was born in an area where politics concerning the surrounding provinces and lands were important and unity was needed. It is clear that he noticed this himself and then made the proactive choice to get involved best he could as a good citizen should in order to try to change things for the better. He gained the king’s trust by being honest and motivated to improve the political surroundings which led to his high favor of the king giving him the position of Chief Assistant. With a position like this one would be able to be more influential within the politics more so than the citizens who did not hold positions or those were found favorable by the king. This recognition from the king gave Qu Yuan an advantage that others didn’t have. | ||
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| + | While in his prime position his attempts to create a better lifestyle for the people was seen rather as an attempt to overthrow the king. Unfortunately this is common even in societies today in the 21st century. Power is a risky and sensitive form of business to be in. Unfortunately those who are honest, such as Qu Yuan, were not recognized for being a positive influence upon the people. Like today, they are assumed to be power hungry people who are looking out for themselves rather than the good of all the people. So what is the only solution in a situation when one is supposedly out for power rather than the common good for everyone? Banishment. | ||
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| + | Banishment/Exile was the common punishment for individuals who were thought to have intentions to hurt or overthrow the king or anyone else in power. I guess you could say that it was nicer than executing them, but sending someone off into the middle of nowhere where they most likely won’t understand the language of the people is pretty cruel as well. This banishment didn’t stop Qu Yuan though. Obviously he was in the position he was in for good rather than corruption. On his little banishment trip he was able to come up with more writings that continued to have influence upon the people regardless of where he was. It’s funny how the king realized he was tricked by his advisors that Qu Yuan was only in it for power. This is also a common practice in the 21 century politics. | ||
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| + | Once the king realized he needed help, he was reinstated for a short time. This isn’t typical in today’s society unfortunately; once you are kicked out of politics there is no returning. Qu Yuan was very lucky to be able to return. Sadly his return wasn’t for long simply because he refused to resort to violence. Such an honorable man was again punished for standing up for what he thought was the right thing to do. | ||
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| − | + | Passion was a part of Qu Yuan. He was so passionate about the things he believed in that he wrote about them in the form of poetry. The Li Sao has become famous and well known for its autobiographical voice. Qu Yuan was so passionate about his efforts that when he found out about the destruction of his home land, he was lead to suicide. This kind of passion for homeland and patriotism is rare in the fact that not a whole lot of people are driven to the point of suicide after hearing the destruction of a country/city/province. Passion is what drove Qu Yuan to do all that he did in his lifetime. | |
| − | Passion was a part of Qu Yuan. He was so passionate about the things he believed in that he wrote about them in the form of poetry. The Li Sao has become famous and well known for its autobiographical voice. Qu Yuan was so passionate about his efforts that when he found out about the destruction of his home land, he was lead to suicide. This kind of passion for homeland and patriotism is rare in the fact that not a whole lot of people are driven to the point of suicide after hearing the destruction of a country/city/province. Passion is what drove Qu Yuan to do all that he did in his lifetime. | ||
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| − | From a literary perspective on Qu Yuan as an author, he is a prime example of passion that shows through in the written product. Being familiar with American, British, and Latin@ literature, it is common to see passion about political views, personal beliefs, morals, ethics, and even religious beliefs in a writer’s work whether it is fiction or not. Qu Yuan follows this pattern especially in the poem Li Sao. His passion for his country and beliefs are very evident and clear in his work. | + | From a literary perspective on Qu Yuan as an author, he is a prime example of passion that shows through in the written product. Being familiar with American, British, and Latin@ literature, it is common to see passion about political views, personal beliefs, morals, ethics, and even religious beliefs in a writer’s work whether it is fiction or not. Qu Yuan follows this pattern especially in the poem Li Sao. His passion for his country and beliefs are very evident and clear in his work. |
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| − | [[File:MiloRiver.jpg|300px|thumb|right| | + | [[File:MiloRiver.jpg|300px|thumb|right|Milo River. McIver State Park by --b--, CC license via Wikimedia Commons. Click [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Milo_McIver_SP_Clackamas.jpg here] for original source.]] |
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My death was a tragedy to those who admired me and my work. They were so devastated that when they heard of my suicide they ran to their boats and came quickly to find my body but were unable to find my body. Because they had no idea where my body had gone they made an effort to scare fish and other water creatures from eating me by beating the water with their paddles. They also threw zongzi, rice dumplings wrapped in silk, as a sacrifice for my spirit and/or distract the fish from my body (CHF). | My death was a tragedy to those who admired me and my work. They were so devastated that when they heard of my suicide they ran to their boats and came quickly to find my body but were unable to find my body. Because they had no idea where my body had gone they made an effort to scare fish and other water creatures from eating me by beating the water with their paddles. They also threw zongzi, rice dumplings wrapped in silk, as a sacrifice for my spirit and/or distract the fish from my body (CHF). | ||
| − | =Commentary on Suicide= | + | ==Commentary on Suicide== |
| − | Celebrity deaths are similar to the death of Qu Yuan. People become so devastated that they congregate and mourn together wishing there was something they could have done to stop the unexpected/untimely death of this influential individual. The people that Qu Yuan was trying to help in his political career were devastated by his suicide and tried so hard to find his body in order to give him a proper burial out of pure and genuine respect. This respect is shown today in China as well as many other countries for the work that Qu Yuan accomplished in his lifetime. | + | Celebrity deaths are similar to the death of Qu Yuan. People become so devastated that they congregate and mourn together wishing there was something they could have done to stop the unexpected/untimely death of this influential individual. The people that Qu Yuan was trying to help in his political career were devastated by his suicide and tried so hard to find his body in order to give him a proper burial out of pure and genuine respect. This respect is shown today in China as well as many other countries for the work that Qu Yuan accomplished in his lifetime. |
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| − | [[File:Dragon.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Dragon boat in the Oregon Convention Center | + | [[File:Dragon.jpg|300px|thumb|left|Dragon boat in the Oregon Convention Center, foto by ocean yamaha, CC license via Flickr. Click [http://www.flickr.com/photos/oceanyamaha/282122794/ here] for original source.]] |
The fifth day of the fifth lunar month on the Chinese calendar is a memorial for myself. It began as a reenactment of my attempted rescue and developed over the years to a boat race. This ceremonial event is done in my honor as a respectable citizen and a legendary poet. (CHF). But more importantly this even also is a memoriam of the awful past China has had with dictatorship. It is a reminder of the awful things that they do not want to happen again. This tradition of boat racing has spread to many other countries as well (CHF). | The fifth day of the fifth lunar month on the Chinese calendar is a memorial for myself. It began as a reenactment of my attempted rescue and developed over the years to a boat race. This ceremonial event is done in my honor as a respectable citizen and a legendary poet. (CHF). But more importantly this even also is a memoriam of the awful past China has had with dictatorship. It is a reminder of the awful things that they do not want to happen again. This tradition of boat racing has spread to many other countries as well (CHF). | ||
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| − | =Commentary on Influence= | + | ==Commentary on Influence== |
| − | Again, like many influential individuals or events, Qu Yuan is celebrated and honored still today. The boat racing that is mentioned above is a reenactment of his attempted rescue on the Milo River in China. Major events that affect a large group of people or even an entire country are given the honor of day of remembrance so the sacrifice given and the influence of the event/individual may be remembered and given an infinite life. | + | Again, like many influential individuals or events, Qu Yuan is celebrated and honored still today. The boat racing that is mentioned above is a reenactment of his attempted rescue on the Milo River in China. Major events that affect a large group of people or even an entire country are given the honor of day of remembrance so the sacrifice given and the influence of the event/individual may be remembered and given an infinite life. |
=Chu Ci= | =Chu Ci= | ||
| − | [[File:Chu Ci Script.jpg|150px|thumb|right| | + | [[File:Chu Ci Script.jpg|150px|thumb|right|A typical poetry scroll. Zhongguo gu dai shu hua jian ding zu (中国古代书画鑑定组). 2000. Zhongguo hui hua quan ji (中国绘画全集). Zhongguo meishu fenlei quanji. Beijing: Wen wu chubanshe. Volume 10. By Wang Zhongyu (王仲玉), CC license via Wikimedia Commons. Click [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Wang_Zhongyu-Master_Jingjie.jpg here] for original source.]] |
The literary type of Chuci 楚辭 "Poetry of Chu" or "Poetry of the South" is a sort of poem that found its origin in the works of Qu Yuan 屈原 (d. 278 BCE), a high minister in the state of Chu 楚. After his death, many persons from that region imitated his style of writing. The formal style and the themes of this poems was so different from the poems of the states in the Yellow River plain that it was always treated as a separate type of literature. The most famous poem is Qu Yuan's Lisao 離騷 "Sorrow after departing". The style of the Chuci and commentaries to these poems have been included as a separate sub-category in the collectaneum Siku quanshu 四庫全書. It includes only 6 writings of and on this type of poetry (Huang). | The literary type of Chuci 楚辭 "Poetry of Chu" or "Poetry of the South" is a sort of poem that found its origin in the works of Qu Yuan 屈原 (d. 278 BCE), a high minister in the state of Chu 楚. After his death, many persons from that region imitated his style of writing. The formal style and the themes of this poems was so different from the poems of the states in the Yellow River plain that it was always treated as a separate type of literature. The most famous poem is Qu Yuan's Lisao 離騷 "Sorrow after departing". The style of the Chuci and commentaries to these poems have been included as a separate sub-category in the collectaneum Siku quanshu 四庫全書. It includes only 6 writings of and on this type of poetry (Huang). | ||
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A great part of the poems is ascribed to the statesman Qu Yuan. The collection Chuci was compiled by the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) scholar Liu Xiang 劉向 and commented by Wang Yi 王逸. The collection comprises poems of Qu Yuan and Song Yu 宋玉, both ministers at the court of the king of Chu, and the Han period scholars Jia Yi 賈誼, Huainan Xiaoshan 淮南小山, Dongfang Shuo 東方朔, Zhuang Ji 莊忌, Wang Bao 王褒, Liu Xiang and Wang Yi. All of them came from the same region in modern central China which had a cultural tradition distinct from the states in the Yellow River plain (Huang). | A great part of the poems is ascribed to the statesman Qu Yuan. The collection Chuci was compiled by the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) scholar Liu Xiang 劉向 and commented by Wang Yi 王逸. The collection comprises poems of Qu Yuan and Song Yu 宋玉, both ministers at the court of the king of Chu, and the Han period scholars Jia Yi 賈誼, Huainan Xiaoshan 淮南小山, Dongfang Shuo 東方朔, Zhuang Ji 莊忌, Wang Bao 王褒, Liu Xiang and Wang Yi. All of them came from the same region in modern central China which had a cultural tradition distinct from the states in the Yellow River plain (Huang). | ||
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The Chuci collection was enlarged by some other poems that were partially also written by "southerners", partially imitations of Qu Yuan's style, like the Han period poet Wang Bao from the region of Sichuan, and Liu Xiang, son of Liu Jiao 劉交 (posthumous title Prince Yuan of Chu 楚元王), or Jia Yi and Dongfang Shuo, both writers known for their inclination to Daoism. | The Chuci collection was enlarged by some other poems that were partially also written by "southerners", partially imitations of Qu Yuan's style, like the Han period poet Wang Bao from the region of Sichuan, and Liu Xiang, son of Liu Jiao 劉交 (posthumous title Prince Yuan of Chu 楚元王), or Jia Yi and Dongfang Shuo, both writers known for their inclination to Daoism. | ||
In the bibliography Yiwen zhi 藝文志, part of the official dynastic history Hanshu 漢書, the poems of Qu Yuan are listed as fu 賦 "rhapsodies" in 25 chapters. The bibliography treatise Jingjizhi 經籍志 in the Suishu 隋書 already lists ten books about the Chuci, of which the greatest part is lost today (Huang). | In the bibliography Yiwen zhi 藝文志, part of the official dynastic history Hanshu 漢書, the poems of Qu Yuan are listed as fu 賦 "rhapsodies" in 25 chapters. The bibliography treatise Jingjizhi 經籍志 in the Suishu 隋書 already lists ten books about the Chuci, of which the greatest part is lost today (Huang). | ||
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There is a complete translation of the Chuci collection by David Hawkes (1959), Ch'u Tz'u: The Songs of the South, Boston: Beacon Press. (Huang) | There is a complete translation of the Chuci collection by David Hawkes (1959), Ch'u Tz'u: The Songs of the South, Boston: Beacon Press. (Huang) | ||
| − | =Li Sao= | + | ==Li Sao== |
| − | + | [[File:Li Sao.png|300px|thumb|left|A page from Li Sao. http://www.wdl.org/fr/item/4459/#search_page=8&view_type=gallery&countries=CN by Xiao Yuncong, CC license via Wikimedia Commons. Click [http://commons.wikimedia.org/wiki/File:Li_sao_illustr%C3%A9_2_1.png here] for original source.]] | |
| − | [[File:Li Sao.png|300px|thumb|left| | ||
LI SAO (The Lament) is not only one of the most remarkable works of Ch'ü Yüan, it ranks as one of the greatest poems in Chinese or world poetry. It was probably written during the period when the poet had been exiled by his king, and was living south of the Yangtse River. (http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html) | LI SAO (The Lament) is not only one of the most remarkable works of Ch'ü Yüan, it ranks as one of the greatest poems in Chinese or world poetry. It was probably written during the period when the poet had been exiled by his king, and was living south of the Yangtse River. (http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html) | ||
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This long lyrical poem describes the search and disillusionment of a soul in agony, riding on dragons and serpents from heaven to earth. By means of rich imagery and skillful similes, it expresses love of one's country and the sadness of separation. It touches upon various historical themes intermingled with legends and myths, and depicts, directly or indirectly, the social conditions of that time and the complex destinies of the city states of ancient China. The conflict between the individual and the ruling group is repeatedly described, while at the same time the poet affirms his determination to fight for justice. This passionate desire to save his country, and this love for the people, account for the poem's splendor and immortality. (http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html) | This long lyrical poem describes the search and disillusionment of a soul in agony, riding on dragons and serpents from heaven to earth. By means of rich imagery and skillful similes, it expresses love of one's country and the sadness of separation. It touches upon various historical themes intermingled with legends and myths, and depicts, directly or indirectly, the social conditions of that time and the complex destinies of the city states of ancient China. The conflict between the individual and the ruling group is repeatedly described, while at the same time the poet affirms his determination to fight for justice. This passionate desire to save his country, and this love for the people, account for the poem's splendor and immortality. (http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html) | ||
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=References= | =References= | ||
| − | “Fun Cultural Facts.” Chinese Heritage Foundation: The Minneapolis Foundation.http://www.chineseheritagefoundation.org/index.php/funculturalfacts | + | *“Fun Cultural Facts.” Chinese Heritage Foundation: The Minneapolis Foundation.http://www.chineseheritagefoundation.org/index.php/funculturalfacts, in the text referred to as CHF |
| − | Huang Weihu 黃偉虎 (1992). "Chuci 楚辭", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 1, pp. 110-111. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe. | + | *Huang Weihu 黃偉虎 (1992). "Chuci 楚辭", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 1, pp. 110-111. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe. |
| − | Ch’u Yuan (340-278 B.C.). Poems translated by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang. http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html | + | *Ch’u Yuan (340-278 B.C.). Poems translated by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang. http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html |
=Classroom presentation= | =Classroom presentation= | ||
[[Media:Presentation 1 - Han Narratives.pptx]] (PowerPoint presentation that briefly covers the life of Qu Yuan and his more famous writings.) | [[Media:Presentation 1 - Han Narratives.pptx]] (PowerPoint presentation that briefly covers the life of Qu Yuan and his more famous writings.) | ||
Latest revision as of 01:16, 5 March 2013
I was an influential statesman and poet. I was alive and part of the political background during the Warring States Era (480-221 BC) in Chinese history (CHF). I was born around 332 BC. I had distant relatives that were aristocratic in the State of Chu (CHF).
I “saw firsthand the difficult lives that ordinary people led and developed a deep sympathy and love for them, along with a passion for truth and justice for all” (CHF). It is the feelings I developed and the great concern for the people that fed my poetry/writings and they became my guiding principles when I began to get involved in the government.
Biography
As mentioned above, I was born with connections to the State of Chu. It is this connection that brought me to my career in government. The king trusted me completely and because of this trust I was appointed as the king’s chief assistant (CHF). Some of my credits are: political reforms, I set up a strict legal system, and I made sure that full opportunity was given to those who were capable (CHF). Unfortunately my great success in aiding the state and the king created tension between myself and my fellow comrades. Because of all the slander and false accusations about me trying to overrule the king, I was exiled to the countryside so that I might not have influence upon the people (CHF). The king who exiled me eventually became the first emperor of all China and he is known for beginning the Great Wall. Even though I was exiled, my ethics and beliefs spoke for themselves and I was asked to come back due to increased contention between the states Qin and Chu (CHF). It was at this time that I was made prime minister for a short time. Bad influences continued to come at me to get me to resort to violence to solve problems between the states. I objected to this and was again forced out in 303 BC and never returned to a position of power (CHF).
It was during this last banishment that I wandered the countryside near the region of northern Hunan Province that I began writing more poetry. My grief for the states and for the people led me to write the biographical poem Li Sao.
I was the first know great poet in China (CHF). My poetry is filled with life, which began the growth of poetry in China. It has since then continued to influence the Chinese literature. I loved my state and its people so very much. When I heard the news of the destruction of the state and the death of the king, I was so distraught that I walked myself to the bottom of the Milo River in Hunan province (CHF).
Commentary on Biography
It is interesting that Qu Yuan was essentially “born into” politics. He was born in an area where politics concerning the surrounding provinces and lands were important and unity was needed. It is clear that he noticed this himself and then made the proactive choice to get involved best he could as a good citizen should in order to try to change things for the better. He gained the king’s trust by being honest and motivated to improve the political surroundings which led to his high favor of the king giving him the position of Chief Assistant. With a position like this one would be able to be more influential within the politics more so than the citizens who did not hold positions or those were found favorable by the king. This recognition from the king gave Qu Yuan an advantage that others didn’t have.
While in his prime position his attempts to create a better lifestyle for the people was seen rather as an attempt to overthrow the king. Unfortunately this is common even in societies today in the 21st century. Power is a risky and sensitive form of business to be in. Unfortunately those who are honest, such as Qu Yuan, were not recognized for being a positive influence upon the people. Like today, they are assumed to be power hungry people who are looking out for themselves rather than the good of all the people. So what is the only solution in a situation when one is supposedly out for power rather than the common good for everyone? Banishment.
Banishment/Exile was the common punishment for individuals who were thought to have intentions to hurt or overthrow the king or anyone else in power. I guess you could say that it was nicer than executing them, but sending someone off into the middle of nowhere where they most likely won’t understand the language of the people is pretty cruel as well. This banishment didn’t stop Qu Yuan though. Obviously he was in the position he was in for good rather than corruption. On his little banishment trip he was able to come up with more writings that continued to have influence upon the people regardless of where he was. It’s funny how the king realized he was tricked by his advisors that Qu Yuan was only in it for power. This is also a common practice in the 21 century politics.
Once the king realized he needed help, he was reinstated for a short time. This isn’t typical in today’s society unfortunately; once you are kicked out of politics there is no returning. Qu Yuan was very lucky to be able to return. Sadly his return wasn’t for long simply because he refused to resort to violence. Such an honorable man was again punished for standing up for what he thought was the right thing to do.
Passion was a part of Qu Yuan. He was so passionate about the things he believed in that he wrote about them in the form of poetry. The Li Sao has become famous and well known for its autobiographical voice. Qu Yuan was so passionate about his efforts that when he found out about the destruction of his home land, he was lead to suicide. This kind of passion for homeland and patriotism is rare in the fact that not a whole lot of people are driven to the point of suicide after hearing the destruction of a country/city/province. Passion is what drove Qu Yuan to do all that he did in his lifetime.
Literary Perspective:
From a literary perspective on Qu Yuan as an author, he is a prime example of passion that shows through in the written product. Being familiar with American, British, and Latin@ literature, it is common to see passion about political views, personal beliefs, morals, ethics, and even religious beliefs in a writer’s work whether it is fiction or not. Qu Yuan follows this pattern especially in the poem Li Sao. His passion for his country and beliefs are very evident and clear in his work.
Suicide
My death was a tragedy to those who admired me and my work. They were so devastated that when they heard of my suicide they ran to their boats and came quickly to find my body but were unable to find my body. Because they had no idea where my body had gone they made an effort to scare fish and other water creatures from eating me by beating the water with their paddles. They also threw zongzi, rice dumplings wrapped in silk, as a sacrifice for my spirit and/or distract the fish from my body (CHF).
Commentary on Suicide
Celebrity deaths are similar to the death of Qu Yuan. People become so devastated that they congregate and mourn together wishing there was something they could have done to stop the unexpected/untimely death of this influential individual. The people that Qu Yuan was trying to help in his political career were devastated by his suicide and tried so hard to find his body in order to give him a proper burial out of pure and genuine respect. This respect is shown today in China as well as many other countries for the work that Qu Yuan accomplished in his lifetime.
Influence
The fifth day of the fifth lunar month on the Chinese calendar is a memorial for myself. It began as a reenactment of my attempted rescue and developed over the years to a boat race. This ceremonial event is done in my honor as a respectable citizen and a legendary poet. (CHF). But more importantly this even also is a memoriam of the awful past China has had with dictatorship. It is a reminder of the awful things that they do not want to happen again. This tradition of boat racing has spread to many other countries as well (CHF).
“Following age-old traditions, new dragon boats are “given life” by a Taoist priest. He holds a bell in one hand, and with a sward in the or, plunges it into a Fu Zhou (a paper charm with “magic characters” inscribed on it). He then touches the dragon’s head, tail, and the great drum with his sword, while paper money is burned and sand is sprinkled on the head of the Dragon. A leader of the community will then ‘dot’ the eyes of the dragon, a tradition in China that a dragon is asleep until his eyes are ‘dotted.’ The Dragon has now been awakened! (CHF)
Such ceremonies are intended to frighten away the evil spirits, to bless the boats, and to give them the strength and ferocity of the Dragon - preparing them for the races. And they certainly look like dragons, with a dragon’s head on the bow, and a tail at the stern. Not much has changed over the years, in the colorful and pageantry-filled festivals in which the races now occur (CHF).
Commentary on Influence
Again, like many influential individuals or events, Qu Yuan is celebrated and honored still today. The boat racing that is mentioned above is a reenactment of his attempted rescue on the Milo River in China. Major events that affect a large group of people or even an entire country are given the honor of day of remembrance so the sacrifice given and the influence of the event/individual may be remembered and given an infinite life.
Chu Ci
The literary type of Chuci 楚辭 "Poetry of Chu" or "Poetry of the South" is a sort of poem that found its origin in the works of Qu Yuan 屈原 (d. 278 BCE), a high minister in the state of Chu 楚. After his death, many persons from that region imitated his style of writing. The formal style and the themes of this poems was so different from the poems of the states in the Yellow River plain that it was always treated as a separate type of literature. The most famous poem is Qu Yuan's Lisao 離騷 "Sorrow after departing". The style of the Chuci and commentaries to these poems have been included as a separate sub-category in the collectaneum Siku quanshu 四庫全書. It includes only 6 writings of and on this type of poetry (Huang).
A great part of the poems is ascribed to the statesman Qu Yuan. The collection Chuci was compiled by the Han period 漢 (206 BCE-220 CE) scholar Liu Xiang 劉向 and commented by Wang Yi 王逸. The collection comprises poems of Qu Yuan and Song Yu 宋玉, both ministers at the court of the king of Chu, and the Han period scholars Jia Yi 賈誼, Huainan Xiaoshan 淮南小山, Dongfang Shuo 東方朔, Zhuang Ji 莊忌, Wang Bao 王褒, Liu Xiang and Wang Yi. All of them came from the same region in modern central China which had a cultural tradition distinct from the states in the Yellow River plain (Huang).
The Chuci collection was enlarged by some other poems that were partially also written by "southerners", partially imitations of Qu Yuan's style, like the Han period poet Wang Bao from the region of Sichuan, and Liu Xiang, son of Liu Jiao 劉交 (posthumous title Prince Yuan of Chu 楚元王), or Jia Yi and Dongfang Shuo, both writers known for their inclination to Daoism. In the bibliography Yiwen zhi 藝文志, part of the official dynastic history Hanshu 漢書, the poems of Qu Yuan are listed as fu 賦 "rhapsodies" in 25 chapters. The bibliography treatise Jingjizhi 經籍志 in the Suishu 隋書 already lists ten books about the Chuci, of which the greatest part is lost today (Huang).
There is a complete translation of the Chuci collection by David Hawkes (1959), Ch'u Tz'u: The Songs of the South, Boston: Beacon Press. (Huang)
Li Sao
LI SAO (The Lament) is not only one of the most remarkable works of Ch'ü Yüan, it ranks as one of the greatest poems in Chinese or world poetry. It was probably written during the period when the poet had been exiled by his king, and was living south of the Yangtse River. (http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html)
The name LI SAO has been interpreted by some as meaning "encountering sorrow," by others as "sorrow after departure." Some recent scholars have construed it as "sorrow in estrangement," while yet others think it was the name of a certain type of music. (http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html)
This long lyrical poem describes the search and disillusionment of a soul in agony, riding on dragons and serpents from heaven to earth. By means of rich imagery and skillful similes, it expresses love of one's country and the sadness of separation. It touches upon various historical themes intermingled with legends and myths, and depicts, directly or indirectly, the social conditions of that time and the complex destinies of the city states of ancient China. The conflict between the individual and the ruling group is repeatedly described, while at the same time the poet affirms his determination to fight for justice. This passionate desire to save his country, and this love for the people, account for the poem's splendor and immortality. (http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html)
First and last paragraphs from Li Sao. For full poem click on link: http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html
A prince am I of ancestry renowned,
Illustrious name my royal sire hath found.
When Sirius did in spring its light display,
A child was born, and Tiger marked the day.
When first upon my face my lord's eye glanced,
For me auspicious names he straight advanced,
Denoting that in me Heaven's marks divine
Should with the virtues of the earth combine.
With lavished innate qualities indued,
By art and skill my talents I renewed;
Angelic herbs and sweet selineas too,
And orchids late that by the water grew,
I wove for ornament; till creeping Time,
Like water flowing, stole away my prime.
Magnolias of the glade I plucked at dawn,
At eve beside the stream took winter-thorn.
Without delay the sun and moon sped fast,
In swift succession spring and autumn passed;
The fallen flowers lay scattered on the ground,
The dusk might fall before my dream was found.
…
Epilogue
Since in that kingdom all my virtue spurn,
Why should I for the royal city yearn?
Wide though the world, no wisdom can be found.
I'll seek the stream where once the sage was drowned.
References
- “Fun Cultural Facts.” Chinese Heritage Foundation: The Minneapolis Foundation.http://www.chineseheritagefoundation.org/index.php/funculturalfacts, in the text referred to as CHF
- Huang Weihu 黃偉虎 (1992). "Chuci 楚辭", in: Zhongguo da baike quanshu 中國大百科全書, Zhongguo lishi 中國歷史, vol. 1, pp. 110-111. Beijing/Shanghai: Zhongguo da baike quanshu chubanshe.
- Ch’u Yuan (340-278 B.C.). Poems translated by Yang Hsien-yi and Gladys Yang. http://www.chinapage.org/poem/quyuan/quyuan-e.html
Classroom presentation
Media:Presentation 1 - Han Narratives.pptx (PowerPoint presentation that briefly covers the life of Qu Yuan and his more famous writings.)