Chinese Literature - Group 1

CHINESE LITERATURE

The body of works written in Chinese.

One of the major literary heritages of the world, with an uninterrupted
history of more than 3,000 years, dating back at least to the 14th
century BCE.

HISTORY

1. Shang Dynasty (about 1700-1050 BC) — Development of Chinese

Writing
2. Zhou Dynasty (1045-255 BC) — Basic Philosophical and Religious
Literature
3. Qin Dynasty (221-206 BC) — Literary Disaster and Legalism
4. Han Dynasty (206 BC – 220 AD) — Scientific and Historical Texts
5. Tang Dynasty (618-907) — Early Woodblock Printing and Poetry
6. Song Dynasty (960-1279) — Early Woodblock Printing, Travel
Literature, Poetry, Scientific Texts and the Neo-Confucian Classics
7. Yuan Dynasty (1279-1368) — Drama and Great Fictional Novels
8. Ming Dynasty (1368-1644) — Novels
9. Qing Dynasty (1644-1911) — Novels and Pre-modern Literature
10. Modern Era (1912-present) — Westernized Literature

GENERAL CHARACTERISTICS OF CHINESE LITERATURE

Chinese literature has profoundly influenced the literary traditions of

other Asian countries.

Through cultural contacts, Chinese literature has influenced the literary

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 traditions of other Asian countries, particularly Korea, Japan, and
Vietnam. Not only was the Chinese script adopted for the written
language in these countries but some writers adopted the Chinese
language as their chief literary medium.

·         Chinese literature, especially poetry, is recorded in handwriting or

in print and purports.

Chinese literature, especially poetry, is recorded in handwriting or in

print and purports to make an aesthetic appeal to the reader that is
visual as well as aural.

·         Visual appeal of the graphs has in fact given rise to the elevated
status of calligraphy in China

This visual appeal of the graphs has in fact given rise to the elevated
status of calligraphy in China, where it has been regarded for at least
the last 16 centuries as a fine art comparable to painting.

·         Chinese poetry characterized by its compactness and brevity

Chinese poetry, besides depending on end rhyme and tonal metre for
its cadence, is characterized by its compactness and brevity.
brevity emphasizes the short duration of speech
conciseness emphasizes compactness of expression

·         Short poem in Chinese sometimes resembles a cablegram

 A short poem in Chinese sometimes resembles a cablegram, wherein

verbal economy is highly desirable. Generally, pronouns and
conjunctions are omitted, and one or two words often allude to highly
complex thoughts or situations. This explains why many poems have
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 been differently interpreted by learned commentators and competent
translators.

·         Line of demarcation between prose and poetry is much less

distinctly

The line of demarcation between prose and poetry is much less

distinctly drawn in Chinese literature than in other national literatures.
This is clearly reflected in three genres. The fu, for example, is on the
borderline between poetry and prose, containing elements of both. It
uses rhyme and metre and not infrequently also antithetic structure,
but, despite occasional flights into the realm of the poetic, it retains the
features of prose without being necessarily prosaic.

·         Chinese prose writing has been diverted into two streams

Classical, or literary, prose (ku-wen, or wen-yen) aims at the standards

and styles set by ancient writers and their distinguished followers of
subsequent ages. While the styles may vary with individual writers, the
language is always far removed from their spoken tongues
 Vernacular prose (pai-hua), in contrast, consists of writings in the
living tongue, the everyday language of the authors. Traditionally
considered inferior, the medium was piously avoided for creative writing
until it was adopted by novelists and playwrights from the 13th century
on.

THEMES IN CHINESE LITERATURE

1. Literature of the Wounded

The "literature of the wounded" movement began in the summer of

1977. For several years, story after story poured out the guilt, regret,
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 and pain over lost lives and ruined careers, betrayal of friends and
family members, and the need to seek restitution.

2. Humanistic Literature

A fiction which treated the problems of recreating the whole person

after the constricting movements of the Cultural Revolution.

3. Social Criticism

Many writers composed works which addressed post-Cultural

Revolution social problems: alienated youth, the loneliness of the
elderly and the divorced, the housing shortage, government corruption,
dissatisfaction with the system of job assignments, etc.

4. Seeking Roots

Some writers have turned to local themes and subject matter in their
recent fiction. These people are seeking a meaning in life separate from
political movements and urban upward mobility.

5. Reportage

Some writers feel that the most important contribution they can make
is to record the facts of Chinese life in a way that illuminates both the
problems and strengths of the Chinese people.

CHINESE LITERATURE MAJOR AUTHORS AND POETS

1. Wang Wei

Known as:  Wang Youcheng Mojie

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 Born: 699 AD

Died: 761 AD (aged 60)

Awards and Honor:

    ●jinshi degree “advanced scholar” (721)

Brief Background:

    ●The Poet Buddha, was a Tang Dynasty Chinese poet, musician,

painter and statesman.

    ●He was one of the most famous men of arts and letters of his time.
Many of his poems are preserved, and twenty-nine were included in the
highly influential 18th-century anthology Three Hundred Tang Poem.

    ●He excelled in imagery, and his poems often hold a subtle

metaphysical flavor testifying to his long study of Buddhism.

Some of the Famous Works:

    ●Lu Zhai or "Deer Park"

    ●Weicheng Qu or "Song of the City of Wei"

2. Li Bai

Known as: Li Bowas

Born: 701 AD

Died: 762 AD
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 Awards and Honor:

    ●Imperial Title

    ●One of the Six Eccentric Gentlemen of Bamboo Brook

Brief Background:

    ●a genius and romantic figure who took traditional poetic forms to

new heights.

    ●His memoirs suggest that he was a gifted swordsman and martial

artist. He claimed to have killed several men by the time he was twenty.

    ●He is remembered as a gifted man who led an extraordinary life

and left behind a legacy of over 1000 great works of Chinese literature.

    ●There is only one known piece of work that survives today which
was written by Li Bai’s own hand. This surviving poem is named
"Shangyangtai" which means "Going Up to the Sun Terrace." This
important piece shows us that Li Bai was a gifted calligrapher. This
manuscript can be found in Beijing, China at the Palace Museum.

Some of the Famous Works:

    ●"Waking from Drunkenness on a Spring Day"

    ●“Thoughts on a Still Night"

3. CAO XUEQIN

Known As: Du Shaoling

Brief Background:
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     ●poetist during Qin Dynasty.

    ●create a Redology means the study of the novel Dream of the Red

Chamber, one of the four classic Chinese literary works.

    ●His date of birth and death, native place of birth and other details
of his life are still a mystery.

Notable Works:

    ●"Dream of the Red Chamber"

    ●"The Golden Days"

REPRESENTATIVE WORK FOR PROSE

Hong Lou Meng

This is a novel composed by Cao Xueqin in the middle of the 18th

century.
One of the Four Great Classical Novels of Chinese literature.
Known for its psychological scope, and its observation of the
worldview, aesthetics, life-styles, and social relations of 18th-century
China.
Redology- the academic study of Cao Xueqin's Dream of the Red
Chamber, one of the Four Great Classical Novels of China.

* "Dream of the Red Chamber" incorporates his tragic experience,

poetic emotion, spirit of exploration, and sense of innovation. They
praised both his stylish paintings, especially of cliffs and rocks, and his
poetry, which they compared to Li He's. After he died, he left his novel
in a nearly finished state. (At least the first draft was completed; some
pages of the manuscript were lost after borrowing by friends or
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 relatives.)

SAMPLE WORK OF PROSE FOR ANALYSIS

THE DREAM OF THE RED CHAMBER (Hong Lou Meng)

4 Great Classical Novels of Chinese Literature. One considered as the

greatest novel of chinese literature.
Authored by Cao Zhan.
That contains of 120 chapters, and 30 main characters.
The novel is a blend of realism and romance, psychological motivation
and fate, daily life and supernatural occurrences.

Synopsis

The novel is a detailed, episodic record of the lives of the members of

the Jia Clan, whose good fortune is assured when one of its daughters
becomes an imperial concubine, and then declines after her death. The
story centers on a love triangle consisting of the main character, Jia
Baoyu, his beautiful cousin Lin Daiyu, and his future wife, another
beautiful cousin named Xue Baochai

Themes

Love and Chinese Culture.  Set during the Qing Dynasty in 18th-century
China, the novel shows how true love and basic humanity fail due to
society's patriarchal-feudal structures. It entails the life and social
structures of 18th century. It is acceptable to marry your own cousins.
Fiction/ Reality. The authors surname has a similar pronunciation in
Mandarin which means fake or slam. Thus Cao Xueqin suggests that
the novel's family is both a reflection of his own family, and
simultaneously a fictional or a "dream" version of his family.
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 “Red Mansion '' means for Chinese is the sheltered  chambers for the
daughters of wealthy families. And the title itself can be understood as
the “dream of young women”.

Language

The novel, written in Vernacular Chinese and not Classical Chinese, is

one of the works which established the legitimacy of the vernacular
idiom. The novel's conversations are written in a vivid Beijing Mandarin
dialect which was to become the basis of modern spoken Chinese, with
influences from Nanjing Mandarin where the authors came from

REPRESENTATIVE WORK FOR POETRY

Brief background about the Author

*  Li Bai, also known as Li Bowas born on May 19, 701 AD, Suyab and
died on November 30, 762 AD, Dangtu County, Maanshan, China.

 * He was a famous Romantic Poet in ancient China. He lived during the

Tang Dynasty. Along with writing romantic poems about women, he
romanticized nature.

(Li Bai’s Quiet Night Thought)

Bright shines the Moon before my bed;

Methinks ’tis frost upon the earth.

Watch the Moon, then bend my head

And miss the hamlet of my birth.

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 * By making use of night imagery and a minimal structure, it depicts the
melancholic yearning for family while you are far away from home.

    * The poem has a AABA rhyme scheme which has not been rendered
in the translation.

SAMPLE WORK OF POETRY FOR ANALYSIS

Quiet Night Thought

By Li Bai

Bright shines the Moon before my bed;

Methinks ’tis frost upon the earth.

Watch the Moon, then bend my head

And miss the hamlet of my birth.

Concepts Attributed

Wine

* Although drunkenness is viewed negatively in modern society, it

wasn’t so in ancient China. Inebriation was viewed as the route to
“divine inspiration”

  - a supernatural force from deity to cause or make something to

happen.

Moon

* The idea of a full moon representing family togetherness is such an

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 important concept in Chinese culture that there are several holidays
themed after it.

Family 

    * The idea and value  of family, especially filial piety, is a main tenet of
Confucianist philosophy.

* Filial piety is a virtue is a respect for one’s parents, elders, &

ancestors.

    * Confucianism is an integral part of Chinese culture, both now and

during Li Bai’s time.

    * This philosophy is founded by Confucius and an ancient Chinese

belief system, which focuses on the importance of personal ethics and
morality.

Service

* Emperor was considered the “Father” of his subjects, and all his
subjects were expected to fulfill their filial duties toward him
(Cartwright).

* Imperial Government serves as a “parent figure” during China’s

ancient times.

Symbolism

* Moon

    * symbolizes/represents union, the whole family being together at

home.
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     * Both theme of Lantern Festival (Yuan Xiao Jie)& Mid-Autumn
Festival (Zhong Qiu Jie).

Themes

* Filial Piety

    * - It is the main tenet of Confucianist philosophy and a virtue of

respect for one's parents, elders, and ancestors.

* Longing 

Point of View

* Quiet Night Thought, uses a first person point of view or as the

narrator.

Main Message

* Quiet Night Thought  exemplifies his work as a whole: his

Confucianist thought, his fixation with the moon, his involvement with
the imperial court, and his appreciation of drunkenness.

CONFUCIUS

Born on 551, Qufu, state of Lu. He died on 479 BCE, Lu

He was a chinese philosopher, poet, politician, and teacher whose
message of knowledge, benevolence, loyalty, and virtue were the main
guiding philosophy of China for thousands of years.
Paragon of Chinese Sages

CONFUCIANISM
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 is ancient Chinese belief system, which focuses on the importance of
personal ethics and morality. It is concerned with inner virtue, morality,
and respect for the community and its values.

FOUR BOOKS (GAMD)

texts that define the core value and belief system of Confucianism

1. The Great Learning

one chapter in the classics of rites

short main texts that are attributed with the teachings of Confucius and
ten commentary chapters
guide for self-cultivation (self-cultivation is learning/investigation of
things
expresses many themes of Chinese philosophy and politics thinking

2. Analects

most reverse scripture of Confucian tradition

collection of Confucius teaching and discussion with his students and
disciples
20 books
emphasized learning as well as good governance, virtue, and ritual

3. Mencius

collection of conversations Mencius have with Confucius

Mencius places as strong emphasis on the responsibility of the
Emperor to practice good governance through following the way
humans are inherently good

4. The Doctrine of the Mean

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 Chapter in the classic of rites
Attributed to Zisi
Emphasizes the fact that good governance relies on the men and that
rulers who maintain balance are not only more effective, but also
effective, but also encourages the way in others.

FIVE CLASSICS (DORCS+C)

five pre-quin Chinese books that form part in the Confucian canon
Western Han Dynasty

1. Book of Documents (Shujing)

compilation of 8 chapters
sage king Yao and Shun
first recording of the history of the ancient China

2. Book of Odes (Shijing)

book of songs and book of poetry

consist of 305 poems dealing with the range of issues (160 Folk songs,
105 Festal songs, 40 hymns)

3. Book of Rites (Liji)

social norms, governmental organizational, and ritual conduct during

the Zhou dynasty
compiled by Confucius
foundation of many ritual principles that arise in later imperial China
proper ritual conduct would maintain harmony in the empire, as well
emphasized the importance of virtue of piety

4. Book of Change (I Ching)

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 contains system of divination
principles of yin and yang
collection of linear signs to be used as oracle

5. Spring of Autumn Annals

longest of the 5 classics

annals, spring, autumn
Historical chronicle of state of Lu
created for annalistically purposes
written by various chroniclers the state of Lu

6. Classic of Music

sixth book of classics

lost during the burning of the books and burying of scholars

A Wife Mourns for her Husband

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 ANALYSIS

Depicts a genuine kind of love and a mourn of a wife for her husband's
death.
she is longing for her husband who will never return
The marriage vow,  “until death do us part”
Loneliness
life after death

ELEMENTS

1. Speaker- wife
2. Content- wife lamenting about the absence of her husband
3. Theme- true love, sorrow,anguish
4. Shape & Form-  structured, predictable rhyme patterns
5. Mood- gloomy
6. Tone- mournful
7. Imagery- grieving wife
8. Figurative language- anaphora/personification/ hyperbole

References:

https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-literature 
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/history-of-
chinese-literature.htm 
https://www.newworldencyclopedia.org/entry/Dream_of_the_Red_Cha
mber 
https://www.britannica.com/topic/Dream-of-the-Red-Chamber 
https://www.visitourchina.com/guide/culture/classical-chinese-
prose.html
Dream of the Red Chamber | Summary & Facts | Britannica
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 https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=1G_Fq5Z76qY 
http://www.cyberspacei.com/jesusi/inlight/art/chlit_e.htm
http://afe.easia.columbia.edu/special/china_1900_literature.htm
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