CHINESE 323 Selected Motifs in Classical Chinese PoetrySpring 2000
Instructor: Hyong Rhew (Office: Eliot 117, Phone: 7392)
Office Hours: Mon., 9-10:50 a.m. & Thur., 10:30-11:50 a.m., or by appointment
Requirements:
1. This course discusses eight selected motifs and each motif will be covered by three conference sessions. Readings for the first two sessions will be provided by the instructor on a web page (http://academic.reed.edu/chinese/courses/323/syl.html). Readings for the third session will be decided by students. Each student should send her/his selection to the instructor by e-mail by 6:00 p.m. on the day the second session. Be sure to give following information with the selection: 1) name of the poet and the years of birth and death; 2) specific reference including page numbers.
2. This course attampts to achieve at least two distinctly different goals: close reading of selected poems and broad browsing of many other poems. Therefore, readings for the first two sessions will be just a few poems per session, generally fewer than ten poems. The total number of poems assigned for the third session should hopefully be limited to such a number. So everyone is expected: 1) to read and analyze each assigned poem closely and rigorously; 2) to browse as broadly as possible anthologies and collections of Chinese poetry. Through this process the selections of the poems for the third session will be made. More importantly, however, this broad browsing will provide an opportunity to see classical Chinese poetry uninfluenced by the instructor's taste.
3. Three short papers (approx. 5 pages each) and a term paper will be required. Short papers will present the process and/or results of the "rigorous" reading of the poem(s) that you assigned to the class. Short papers are due respectively on 2/11 (Fri.), 3/10 (Fri.), and 4/7 (Fri.). A one-page proposal for the term paper is due on 4/19 (Wed.). Term paper must be submitted by 5/5 (Fri.).
4. The list below is to help you choose the books for browsing. The poem you choose for discussion in the third session of each motif should ideally come from different books for all eight motifs.
A. For Understanding Background-James J. Y. Liu, The Art of Chinese Poetry (PL2307.L57)
-Nienhauser, comp., The Indiana Companion to Traditional Chinese Literature (Ref.PL2264.I53 1986)
-Richard Lynn, Guide to Chinese Poetry and Drama (Ref.PL2307.L5L85 1984)
-Wilt Idema & Lloyd Haft, A Guide to Chinese Literature (Ref.PL2271. I3413. 1997)
B. Anthologies
-Wai-lim Yip, Chinese Poetry: An Anthology of Major Modes and Genres (PL2658.E3C58 1997)
-Stephen Owen, An Anthology of Chinese Literature (PL2658.E1A814 1996)
-Cyril Birch, Anthology of Chinese Literature, vol. 1 (PL2658.E1B5 v.1)
-Cyril Birch, Anthology of Chinese Literature, vol. 2 (PL2658.E1B5 v.2)
-Burton Watson, The Columbia Book of Chinese Poetry (PL2658.E3C66 1984)
-Jonathan Chaves, The Columbia Book of Later Chinese Poetry (PL2658.E3C663 1986)
-Wu-chi Liu, Sunflower Plendor (PL2658.E3S84 1975b)
-J. D. Frodsham, An Anthology of Chinese Verse (PL2658.E3F7)
-Lo and Schultz, Waiting for the Unicorn (PL2537.W28 1986)
-Arthur Waley, The Book of Songs (PL2478.F88)
-David Hawkes, The Songs of the South (PL3277.E3C47 1962)
-New Songs from a Jade Terrace (On order)
-Arthur Waley, 170 Chinese Poems (PL3277.E3W4 1918)
-Anne Birrell, Popular Songs and Ballads of Han China (PL2658.E3B57 1988)
-A. C. Graham, Poems of the Late T'ang (PL2658.E3G7 1977)
C. Individual Poets
-Hightower, The Poetry of T'ao Ch'ien (PL2665.T3A24)
-Mather, The Poet Shen Yueh (PL2668.S54Z77 1988)
-Pauline Yu, The Poetry of Wang Wei (PL2676.A285 1980a)
-Wang Wei, Tony Barnstone, et. al., tr., Laughing Lost in the Mountains: Poems of Wang Wei (PL2676.A226 1991)
-Li Po and Tu Fu, Bright Moon, Perching Bird (PL2671.A27 1987)
-Arthur Cooper, Li Po and Tu Fu (PL2671.C6 1973)
-David Hawkes, A Little Primer of Tu Fu (PL2675.H3)
-Han Yu, in versions by Kenneth O. Hanson, Growing Old Alive (XR14 H26G7: Non-circulating. Ask instructor for his personal copy.)
-Stephen Owen, The Poetry of Meng Chiao and Han Yu (PL2677.M4 Z8)
-Arthur Waley, The Life and Times of Po Chu-i (PL2997.P7 W3 1949)
-Frodsham, The Poems of Li Ho (PL2677.L5A23)
-James J. Y. Liu, The Poetry of Li Shang-yin (PL2672.L5)
-Rouzer, Writing Another's Dream: The Poetry of Wen Tingyun (PL2677.W45Z87 1993)
-Jeanne Larsen, Brocade River Poems (PL2677.H76A24 1987)
-Ronald Egan, tr., Word, Image, and Deed in the Life of Su Shih (PL2685.Z5E34 1994)
-Michael Fuller, The Road to East Slope (PL2685.Z5F85 1990)
-David Palumbo-Liu, The Poetics of Appropriation (PL2681.Z5P35 1993)
-Schmidt, Stone Lake: The Poetry of Fan Chengda, 1121-1193 (PL2687.F3A6 1992)
-Mote, The Poet Kao Ch'i, 1336-1374 (PL2694.K3Z65)
-Chang, The Late Ming Poet Ch'en Tzu-lung (PL2698.C4556Z6 1991)
Motifs and Conference Schedule
1/24 Mon. Introduction
1/26 Wed. Ascending Heights (1)
1/31 Mon. Ascending Heights (2)
2/2 Wed. Ascending Heights (3)
2/7 Mon. Visiting a Friend (1)
2/9 Wed. Visiting a Friend (2)
2/11 Fri. (Paper #1 due)
2/14 Mon. Visiting a Friend (3)
2/16 Wed. Meeting and Contemplating Nature (1)
2/21 Mon. Meeting and Contemplating Nature (2)
2/23 Wed. Meeting and Contemplating Nature (3)
2/28 Mon. Writing a Letter (1)
3/1 Wed. Writing a Letter (2)
3/6 Mon. Writing a Letter (3)
3/8 Wed. Reflecting on History (1)
3/10 Fri. (Paper #2 due)
3/13 Mon. Reflecting on History (2)
3/15 Wed. Reflecting on History (3)
3/27 Mon. Reflecting on Human Sufferings (1)
3/29 Wed. Reflecting on Human Sufferings (2)
4/3 Mon. Reflecting on Human Sufferings (3)
4/5 Wed. Drinking Wine (1)
4/7 Fri. (Paper #3 due)
4/10 Mon. Drinking Wine (2)
4/12 Wed. Drinking Wine (3)
4/17 Mon. Home and the Return (1)
4/19 Wed. (Paper proposal due)
4/19 Wed. Home and the Return (2)
4/24 Mon. Home and the Return (3)
4/26 Wed. Conclusion
5/5 Fri. (Term paper due)