Chinese Poetry: A brief primer

Chinese Poetry: A brief primer

World Lit. 2403

Introduction

·         China has traditionally been a nation of poets

·         Holds a position of importance unequalled by any other nation. In linguistic, cultural, social, educational or political areas it manifested certain characteristics that are unique.

·         Earliest known examples of Chinese script inscribed on tortoise shells and animal bones around 1300 BCE, by the time of the Shang Dynasty.

·         Intimately connected to music

·         The difficulty of Chinese script led to a scholar class from whose ranks government would select officials.

·         "Men of talent" were selected using competitive exams

·         Chinese has no inflection of number, case, person, tense or gender.

Lu chi (261-303 CE)

·         Born into a military family, living in the delta area of the Yangtze River.

·         In the midst of the fall of the Wu dynasty he was appointed literary secretary to the court.

·         Wrote an essay on treating literature as a calling or craft and as a means to truth.

·         In his own words he explains that he is constantly aware of the feeling of regret that the meaning apprehended in his work does not represent the objects reflected upon or observed.

 T'ao Ch'ien (365-427)

·         One of China's foremost poets in the five word shih style. HIs influence on subsequent poets was great.

·         Lived during the Eastern Chin and Liu Sung dynasties.

·         Born in what is present day Kiangsi Province, the great-grandson of a famed Chin general.

·         Preferred a life of seclusion but did hold some political posts in order to support his family.

·         Known as a Taoist nature poet with a fondness for wine and chrysanthemums.

·         He represents the culmination of the five-word poetry of the Han dynasty with its obsession with life's meaning.

·         One of his most famous poems is "Substance, Shadow and Spirit"--both Taoist and existentialist.

Li Po (701-762)

·         Native of Szechuan China

·         While in his teens he retired to the mountains in the north to live with a religious recluse by the name of Tunyen-tzu.

·         Kept strange birds as pets.

·         Traveled back down river. Later married

·         Became a wandering poet

·         His poetry found great favor in the imperial court.

·         The court plotters convinced that his poetry was a malicious satire worked against him and he retired to the mountains for 10 years.

·         Sentenced to perpetual banishment.

·         His strong imagination was easily set off with the nuances of music, wine, the human experiences of nature and human friendship.

SUBSTANCE, SHADOW, AND SPIRIT

By

T’ao Ch’ien

Substance, Shadow and Spirit

I
Substance to Shadow
Earth and heaven endure forever,
Streams and mountains never change.
Plants observe a constant rhythm,
Withered by frost, by dew restored.
But man, most sentient being of all,
In this is not their equal.
He is present here in the world today,
Then leaves abruptly, to return no more.
No one marks there’s one man less-
Not even friends and family think of him;
The things that he once used are all that’s left
To catch their eye and move them to grief.
I have no way to transcend change,
That it must be, I no longer doubt.
I hope you will take my advice:
When wine is offered, don’t refuse.

II
Shadow to Substance
No use discussing immortality
When just to keep alive is hard enough.
Of course I want to roam in paradise,
But it’s a long way there and the road is lost.
In all the time since I met up with you
We never differed in our grief and joy.
In shade we may have parted for a time,
But sunshine always brings us close again.
Still this union cannot last forever-
Together we will vanish into darkness.
The body goes; that fame should also end
Is a thought that makes me burn inside.
Do good, and your love will outlive you;
Surely this is worth your every effort.
While it is true, wine may dissolve care
That is not so good a way as this.

III
Spirit’s Solution
The Great Potter cannot intervene-
All creation thrives of itself.
That Man ranks with Earth and Heaven
Is it not because of me?
Though we belong to different orders,
Being alive, I am joined to you.
Bound together for good or ill
I cannot refuse to tell you what I know:
The Three August Ones were great saints
But where are they living today?
Though P’eng-tsu lasted a long time
He still had to go before he was ready.
Die old or die young, the death is the same,
Wise or stupid, there is no difference.
Drunk everyday you may forget,
But won’t it shorten your life span?

Doing good is always a joyous thing
But no one has to praise you for it.
Too much thinking harms my life;
Just surrender to the cycle of things,
Give yourself to the waves of the Great Change
Neither happy nor yet afraid.
And when it is time to go, then simply go

Without any unnecessary fuss.
- T’ao Ch’ien

SUBSTANCE, SHADOW,& SPIRIT

Introduction

Begins with prose

Explains purpose of poem

Demonstrates flaws of Substance and Shadow

Demonstrates how Spirit puts people on the right path

SUBSTANCE, SHADOW,& SPIRIT

Introduction

Substance

Body/materials

Shadow

Fame/reputation

Spirit

Soul?

SUBSTANCE, SHADOW,& SPIRIT

Introduction

Message of T’ao Ch’ien

It is a mistake to hoard up the moments of life

Substance and Shadow result in bitterness

Spirit eliminates that bitterness

Substance Speaks to Shadow

Premise

Immortality of nature versus the mortality of humans

“Heaven and Earth exist forever:/ Mountains and rivers never change” (3-4).

“Fortuitously appearing for a moment in the World/ He suddenly departs, never to return” (9-10)

Substance Speaks to Shadow:

“How can he know that the friends he has left/ Are missing and thinking of him” (11-12)

Question

If we are mortal, how will we be remembered?

Answer

The things we leave behind will remind people of us; therefore we still exist in some manner.

Substance Speaks to Shadow:

Advice

“When you can get wine, be sure to drink it” (18)

Carpe Diem

“Eat, drink and be merry, for tomorrow you will die”

Shadow Replies to Substance

Premise

“There is no way to preserve life” (19)

Commonality of all three philosophies

Death comes to us all

The great equalizer

Shadow Replies to Substance

Philosophy

·         “That when the body decays Fame should also go Is a thought unendurable, burning the heart. Let us strive and labor while yet we may To do some deed that men will praise. Wine may in truth dispel our sorrow, But how compare it with lasting Fame?” (29-34)

·         Do something by which we will be remembered (Fame)

·         Drinking wine (Carpe Diem) is temporary

·         Fame is forever

Spirit Expounds

“God can only set in motion:/ He cannot control the things he has made” (35-36)

Diction

God=Tao=Life Force

Whatever created us does not control us

Similar to the concept of free will in western culture

Spirit Expounds

“Though I am different from you, We were born involved in one another: Nor by any means can we escape The intimate sharing of good and ill.” (39-42)

Spirit separates people from animals so we can join Heaven and Earth as 1 of the 3 Orders

Spirit Expounds

Three emperors

All were famous and good men

Where are they now?

“And late or soon all go:/ Wise and simple have no reprieve” (47-48)

Death is the great equalizer

Spirit Expounds

Critiques of other philosophies

Substance

“Wine may bring forgetfulness,/ But does it not hasten old age?” (49-50)

Shadow

“If you set your hearts on noble deeds,/ How do you know that any will praise you?” (51-52)

Spirit Expounds

“By all this thinking you do Me injury” (53)

Taoist belief concerning education

Taoist belief concerning not encouraging the clever to act

Taoist belief concerning simplicity

Spirit Expounds

“You had better go where Fate leads-- Drift on the Stream of Infinite Flux, Without joy, without fear: When you must go—then go, And make as little fuss as you can.” (54-58)

Introduction to a major theme

Fate

Li Po (701-762)

·         Native of Szechuan China

·         While in his teens he retired to the mountains in the north to live with a religious recluse by the name of Tunyen-tzu.

·         Kept strange birds as pets.

·         Traveled back down river. Later married

·         Became a wandering poet

·         His poetry found great favor in the imperial court.

·         The court plotters convinced that his poetry was a malicious satire worked against him and he retired to the mountains for 10 years.

·         Sentenced to perpetual banishment.

·         His strong imagination was easily set off with the nuances of music, wine, the human experiences of nature and human friendship.

Li Po's more informal style

          My friend is lodging high in the Eastern Range,

          Dearly loving the beauty of valleys and hills.

          At green Spring he lies in the empty woods,

          And is still asleep when the sun shines on high.

          A pine-tree wind dusts his sleeves and coat;

          A pebbly stream cleans his heart and ears.

          I envy you, who far from strife and talk

          Are high-propped on a pillow of blue cloud.