Intro to Classic of Poetry

-  Intro to Classic of Poetry:

-  One of the earliest literary texts: it shows us something of the continuity of Chinese literature. (together with the Shujing) to probably 1000-600. Confucius already refers to the 300 poems of the Shijing (he is also associated with the editing of this text); by the time of Xunzi, we already find that many of the quotations are similar to the text of the Shijing we have now. 221 BCE; burning of the Confucian classics; different versions of this text are lost, and we are left really with one version, recomposed, the Mao Edition of the text.

-  Commentaries and interpretations: some are included in your readings, but really starts with the Mao commentaries, includes an important reinterpretation by Zhu Xi (1130-1200); more interpretations of the philological kind throughout the Qing dynasty; modern period, very important reinterpretations as the “essence of Chinese culture” (Wen Yiduo), “About Fish”; in defining as the “essence of China”; emphasis on “folk/orality/spontaneity/sexuality/anti-Confucianism.” The imagery of fish as fertility, etc.; later twentieth century: all kinds of other versions, commentaries are found, some find that the Confucian interpretation is not all that off. Perhaps the “popular nature” of these songs is overstated. Martin Kern, juxtaposes the two songs we have selected and argues that indeed, the royal songs of the ruling house of Zhou are not that different from the anonymous popular songs found at the beginning of the text, supposedly sung by rural country folk. In short: one of the most important origins of Chinese literature is found in poetry and the functions ascribed to this poetry come to define the Chinese tradition, i.e. Confucian interpretation, emulation, national essence, geographic unity.

-  IMPORTANCEO OF A SHARED, CONTINUOUS TRADITION: THE IMPORTANCE OF QUOTING IN THE CHINESE TRADITION: (述而不作); i.e. transmit but do not create. the Odes reconnect you to the past. In early Chinese ‘philosophical’ texts, in particular of the Confucian persuasion, so thinkers such as Confucius and Mencius, the odes are constantly quoted (ORALLY) as a fount of wisdom as an appropriate bon mot during diplomatic exchange:

-  example from Mencius 'It is said in the Book of Poetry, "The minds of others, I am able by reflection to measure;"

-  Structure of the Text: 305 songs total, divided into four parts, 1. Song: or temple hymns, 40 lengthy songs that represent the most sacred of the sacred, that is ritual songs sung at the court of Zhou. 2. Daya and Xiaoya: major and minor elegantiae (probably a misinterpretation of the term ya, which in ancient Chinese comes close in pronunciation to xia, i.e. the ethnic groups belonging to the Zhou and northern people (as opposed to the southern people); still a lot of ritual songs, clearly associated with nobility of states, but also the everyday life of the nobility, i.e. drinking with envoys and lords, the pursuit of love by nobility, etc. 4. Guofeng: airs of states, 160, divided geographically according to place of origin into fifteen different states; The music/poetry of certain states and periods is supposed to be uplifting and proper, the music of other states is supposed to lead one astray; popular folk songs, deal with gathering plants, celebrations, erotic songs, etc. Stylistic differences: the guofeng are shorter, tend to emphasize xing or opening image (such as the Guan guaning Osprey).

-  FUNCTIONS OF THE BOOK OF POETRY/LITERATURE: POLITICAL and RITUAL: not simply because these are associated with the ritual at the court of Zhou or because these songs from different states are brought together within a single collection (just as the Zhou dynasty rules all of these states): CONFUCIUS On POETRY: “By the poems you can stir people and you can observe things through them; you can express your resentment in them and you can show sociable feelings. Close to home you can use them to serve your father, and on a larger scale you can use them to serve your ruler. Moreover, you can learn to recognize many names of birds, beasts, plants, and trees.” Stirring people: are a political function, these are moral poems that persuade, in a subtle manner, “the people.” “you can observe things through them” Observing: the guofeng were supposedly collected by the Zhou court to observe the sentiments of the local populace: “big rat, big rat, why are you stealing my grain” the local government is corrupt and the populace unhappy. (perhaps a Han invention) Express resentment: crucial political function, this is not unhappiness with the shortness of life or being dumped, but with the current disorder in the realm; i.e. a lot of these are argued to be a critique, which, moreover, is veiled. Show sociable feelings: music unites, harmony is in Chinese as well, an idea that is both social and musical. Orality here is important because it is accessible to all, not just the elite. Close to home and far away: a. universal use, i.e. its encyclopedic in nature b. micro-cosm macrocosm: i.e. personal life, family life, is inevitably a mirror of political life. Learn names: a. importance of learning names, i.e. zhengming, linguistic control over the universe. All things have their proper names, most importantly the ruler, the minister, the father, the son. In short: in the Confucian mindset, the odes represent a certain particular POLITICAL order and the creation of such an order; separate elements are brought together harmoniously, people are united, educated, made moral

-  I1 orality as the image of the “folk” and the voice as creating community and the later orthodox interpretation of such a ballad.

-  2. Orality as actual hymn, sung in high ritual context at the court of the Zhou dynasty kings. Here orality has a clearly non-spontaneous ritual function, no improvisation is possible because the exact phrasing of the words is important. Sound here lends acoustic materiality to a context you can think of in your head; sacrifices (i.e. filled with the killing of animals/burning of grains, smoke, incense, etc.), pouring of wine (suggesting taste, smell, touch), movement of dancers (visual/physical), and then there is sound. These materialities are important in ordering the world in creating ritual as special. The acoustic ornamentations (i.e. repetitive words, rhyme, onomatopoeia), they do not communicate information, they simply are the ordered acoustic elements that set apart these songs as special (this is not just you and me talking), and they create a sense of order by creating pattern; AESTHETIC PATTERNING IS AN ORDERING OF THE WORLD: