Shijing and Chuci

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Recommended: A Comparison of Chinese and Western Poetry

Shijing and Chuci

Two of the most important collections of poems in the long history of Chinese literature are the Shijing (Book of Odes) and the Chuci (Songs of Chu). The Shijing is the oldest collection of Chinese poetry; it dates from the 10th through 7th centuries B.C., during the Zhou Dynasty, and Northern Chinese feudal nobility are thought to have authored most of the works. The poetry of the Shijing is not very complex; rather it is characterized for its realistic subject matter, which tended to be the many aspects of contemporary life of the time. The Shijing has four sections: "Daya" (Great Odes), "Xiaoya" (Lesser Odes), the "Guofeng" (Airs) and "Songs" (Hymns). The collection has been cut to and added to through the years; it is said that Confucius from an original body consisted of over 3000 poems, selected 305 poems for it.

The Chuci, on the other hand, originates from South China. Much of the earlier works in it, such as "Lisao," are credited to Qu Yuan (340 --278 B.C.), an under-appreciated official during the Warring States period kingdom of Chu. There is a religious theme in many of the poems of the Chuci, with shamanism as a prevailing theme, particularly in the "Jiuge" (Nine Songs).

Chinese poetry is difficult to understand and interpret, with the need for translation and cultural ignorance being two of the main culprits hindering a complete understanding. This paper will compare and contrast these two collections of poetry in order to gain a better understanding of Chinese poetry. In the attempt to do so, these two collections (with an emphasis on the Chuci) will be extracted, explored, and explicated.

The Shijing: "Great Odes" and "Smaller Odes"

The "Great Odes" consists of 31 poems. In gen...

... middle of paper ...

...ology a collection of folk poems, or maybe it's a combination of the two. It is in contention whether the Chuci had anything to do with Qu Yuan, which if not the case, could alter the whole meaning of "Encountering Sorrow." Even if evidence were dug up to support anyone's theories, it would still be a daunting task to reach a consensus on the translations and interpretations of these two fine collections.

Bibliography:

Bibliography

Haft, Idema, and Lloyd, Haft. A Guide to Chinese Literature. Ann Arbor: Center for Chinese Studies, University of Michigan, 1997.

Owen, Stephen. An Anthology of Chinese Literature. New York, NY:

W. W. Norton and Company, 1996.

Waley, Arthur. The Nine Songs. London, Great Britain: George Allen and Unwin Ltd., 1955.

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