ST. MARK COLLEGE of baliuag, Bulacan, inc.

JP. Rizal St. Sta. Barbara, Baliuag Bulacan

Email: stmark04@yahoo.com | Tel. No. 305-5264

Name: ___________________________
Grade and Section: __________________
Module Number: 14 ENGLISH 8
Date: ___________________________

Wang Shih-fu was the most famous dramatist of the 13th century The novel had inconspicuous origins,
and the medieval Chinese nove dealt with love, intrigue, and superstitions and had political themes like
plotting, usurpation, and lawlessness. The Han empire collapsed into warring kingdoms, giving way to
the T'ang dynasty.

The Golden Age of Chinese Poetry occurred during the regime of the T'ang dynasty, which produced four
great masters of poetry-Wang Wei, Li Po or Li Bo, Tu Fu or Du Fu, and Bai Juyi. Four-line poems about
nature were written by Wang Wei. Li Po's poems described his dreams, fantasies, and his penchant for
wines. Tu Fu had a variety of themes and writing styles in his verses. Satire protesting government
policies was the forte of Bai Juyi. The short story evolved during the T'ang dynasty. Short stories of the
period dealt with historical events or supernatural phenomena. Novels of the period were both realistic
and imaginative. The tz'u is Chinese poetry that became popular during the latter part of the T'ang
dynasty from the 8th to the 10th century. This kind of verse is sung to the tune of popular songs and is
marked by lines of varying lengths. The tune that the lyric of the song is trying to show dictates the length
of each line.

The invention of the movable type of printer occurred during the Song dynasty. Knowledge became
widespread as printed material could now be published. There was a proliferation of travel literature in
which Chinese writers wrote about their trips. The Confucian Classics were used as test materials for the
entrance examinations into government positions. Scientific texts and atlases were also published, and
important verses were also written. Since Chinese bureaucrats all studied the same social behavior and
philosophy, they became highly respected and passed their knowledge to the common people.

The Mongols were nomadic people who wandered in different parts of the world, fighting on horseback
and who were determined to conquer the world. They attacked the Tang Dynasty and established the
Yuan dynasty. During this era shadow puppet plays (shadows of puppets were cast by a lamp on a screen
or sheet) entertained the Mongolian court. Another form of entertainment at that time was the zaju, the
dramatic operatic theater with speaking actors. The Yuan dynasty, although ruled by the Mongols, was an
era where historically famous dramatic playwrights and novelists wrote in the vernacular language. The
best playwrights of the Yuan dynasty were Guan Hanging who wrote the drama piece Snow in
Midsummer and Wang Shifu who wrote the romantic drama The Romance of the Western Chamber.
Novels were another outstanding literary achievement of the Yuan dynasty, Luo Guanzhong wrote the
novel The Romance of the Three Kingdoms in the vernacular language.

The Chinese rebelled against the Mongols and established the Ming dynasty in 1368. Wu Cheng'en
published Journey to the West, a historical journey of a Buddhist monk to India. The author remained
anonymous. India is described in the book as a land of immorality and gross sin, and the monk was
ordered by Buddha to help India. Chinese children are much acquainted with the characters in this book
as they often appear in animations and martial arts movies.

The last dynasty called the Qing dynasty was established by the Manchus who invaded the Ming Empire.
Although the Manchus were not Chinese, they adhered to the Neo-Confucian system of the previous eras.
The Qing dynasty was plagued by internal rebellions and foreign invasions. In the 19th century, foreign
literature and Western culture were introduced. The Dream of the Red Chamber, believed to be written
by Cao Xueqin, was considered the greatest Chinese novel. Chinese novels had evidence of Russian
influence. Chinese intellectuals and scholars began to translate foreign works on science, politics, and
literature. Chinese writers produced literary works that were similar to Western fiction.

The reign of Chinese dynasties ended with the revolution led by Sun Yat-sen. The big political change in
Chinese society led to a change in government and eventually a change in literature. Chinese literature
became Westernized and the Classical Chinese language was no longer used by writers. Women strived
to attain equal status in society, and women writers emerged. There was an exodus of Chinese students
who studied abroad. The Confucian lifestyle was slowly being replaced by a Westernized one. The
national government of Sun Yat-sen encouraged freedom of expression, and the writing of literature in
the different genres was abundant. The contemporary period in Chinese literature refers to the 30 years
from the May Fourth Movement in 1919 until the foundation of the People's Republic in China in 1949.

Lu Xun was the known master of modern Chinese literature, and his famous works A Madman's Diary
and The True Story of Ah Q revealed the condition of Chinese society at those times. Lao She used the
Peking dialect in writing Camel Xiangzi (Rickshaw Boy) and the drama Tea House, which mirrored the
plight of the Chinese lower class. Bing Xin is a Chinese female writer who wrote works on motherly love
and innocence. Lin Yutang, a nominee for the Nobel Prize in Literature, wrote essays and the novel
Moment in Peking. Xu Zhimo, educated at Cambridge University and the author of Second Farewell to
Cambridge, was a poet who wrote in free verse.