Chinese Literature – page 256

  • A Long Line of Dynasties

1. How long has Chinese civilization endured?

2. What was the first Chinese dynasty?

  • The Mandate of Heaven

3. Explain what the mandate of heaven was.

4. Which dynasty lasted the longest?

  • Explain the three major philosophies of Chinese culture:

5. Confucianism –

6. Taoism –

7. Buddhism –

  • The Great Wall of China

8. Which emperor started the Great Wall? In what year? (see picture)

  • Dynasties

Write a brief explanation of each dynasty:

9. The Ch’in Dynasty -

10. The Han Dynasty -

11. The T’ang Dynasty -

12. The Sung Dynasty -

13. The Yuan Dynasty -

14. The Ming Dynasty -

15. The Ch’ing Dynasty -

  • Philosophy - p. 260

16. What forms of literature are highly valued by the Chinese?

17. What are the primary prized literary works?

18. What is the oldest collection of Chinese poetry?

19. Who is ranked as one of the finest Chinese poets?

20. What is the name of the fairly rigid poetic form used by the above poet?

21. Who are two other famous Chinese poets? What is each known for?

  • Chinese Drama and Fiction

23. Describe what drama was like during the Yuan dynasty.

24. What was the most famous Chinese novel written? Who was the author?

  • Lao Tzu – page 264

25. What does Lao Tzu’s name mean?

26. What was he asked to do?

27. What is the English translation of the name of his book?

28. What were Lao Tzu’s primary concerns?

  • Confucius – page 264

29. What is the name of the book of the collected sayings of Confucius?

30. What was his opinion about his generation? What did he emphasize in his teachings?

31. How did he believe the country’s moral health could be restored?

32. What was required for those that served the government?

  • Aphorisms – p. 265

33. Define aphorisms.

34. Comparing Literary works – explain the basics of Tao according to Lao Tzu and Confucius

35. Background – How do Taoists differ from Confucianists?

36. How does Lao Tzu propose that one can understand cause and effect of the universe?

37. What causes the clever not to act, and what is the effect of this inaction?

Page 267

38. What elements in this painting support the ideas expressed in the Tao TeChing?

39. What does Lao Tzu say is “the way of heaven”?

Page 268

From The Analects by Confucius

40. What does Confucianism focus on?

41. What is the concept of “ren”?

42. What Confucian ideas are reflected in the fact that the people are de-emphasized in this painting?

P. 269

43. What is a young man’s duty according to Confucius?

44. In what way might a ruler interpret the lesson of this aphorism about words and deeds?

Questions 1-6 – complete (a) and (b) for all questions.

Page 274 –Voices of Wisdom

45. What does Poor Richard’s Almanac stress as important?

46. Critical View: What is a Philomath? (infer)

P. 275

Answer questions 1-3