The Songs of the South (Penguin Classics) - Softcover

9780140448917: The Songs of the South (Penguin Classics)
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First compiled in the second century AD, "The Songs of the South" contains ancient poems from one of the two great traditions in Chinese poetry. These poems illuminate the Chinese poet's way of looking at the world, his vocabulary of images, and the various assumptions he makes. Opening with a poem written in the fourth century BC, this volume presents the literary achievements of the Chu civilization and features many poems attributed to Qu Yuan, honoured as China's first poet. The powers of shamans and spirits inspired many of these poems, and they are invoked in ways that shocked the puritanical Confucian sensibilities of later generations. The introduction provides historical background information and, through references to western history and culture, elucidates the poetry and its context for English-speaking readers.

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About the Author:
Although Chu Ci is an anthology of poems by many poets, Qu Yuan was doubtless its central figure. Jiu Ge ("Nine Songs"), also attributed to Qu Yuan, is the first example of what could be called shamanic literature in China. It is in remembrance of the circumstances of his death that the annual Dragon boat races are held.

David Hawkes was Professor of Chinese at Oxford University from 1959 to 1971. From 1973 to 1983 he was a Research Fellow of All Souls College, Oxford, and subsequently became an Emeritus Fellow. He died in Oxford on Friday 31 July 2009.
Language Notes:
Text: English, Chinese (translation)

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  • PublisherPenguin Books
  • ISBN 10 0140448918
  • ISBN 13 9780140448917
  • BindingPaperback
  • Edition number1
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Other Popular Editions of the Same Title

9780140443752: The Songs of the South: An Anthology of Ancient Chinese Poems by Qu Yuan and Other Poets (Penguin Classics)

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ISBN 10:  0140443754 ISBN 13:  9780140443752
Publisher: Penguin Classics, 1985
Softcover

  • 9780141198705: Penguin Classics the Songs of the South

    Pengui..., 2011
    Softcover

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