In Chapter 19, you learned that the Tang dynasty (618 - 907) was a
period of peace and prosperity. Goods and ideas flowed into China. The arts
also flourished. Some of the greatest Chinese poetry was created during this
time.
During the Tang dynasty, older forms of poetry were used, and new ones were
created and became popular. Some of the new forms had very complicated rules.
One form, called lu shih, consisted of eight lines of five or seven Chinese
characters. The first two lines had to be an explanation of the topic. The next
four lines had to develop the theme, with some complicated rhyming
requirements. The last two lines concluded the poem. Poets had to do all this
while also writing beautifully and expressing deep emotion. Writing this kind
of poetry required great skill.
One of the most famous poets of the Tang dynasty was Wang Wei (699-759). When
he was 21, he received an advanced scholar degree in the imperial civil-service
examination. He went on to a career in the government. He also won fame as a
painter and a poet.
As a painter, he is best known for his landscapes, done in ink. Many of his
best poems were also inspired by the landscape. Below is a poem by Wang Wei.
What details of the landscape does he mention? What kind of feeling do you get
from the poem?
A Farm-House on the Wei River
In the slant of the sun on the country-side,
Cattle and sheep trail home along the lane;
And a rugged old man in a thatch door
Leans on a staff [stick] and thinks of his son, the herdboy.
There are whirring pheasants [a type of bird], full wheat-ears,
Silk-worms asleep, pared [cut] mulberry-leaves.
And the farmers, returning with hoes on their shoulders,
Hail one another familiarly..
No wonder I long for the simple life
And am sighing the old song, "Oh, to go Back Again!"
Source
Electronic Text Center at the University of Virginia Library, "300
Tang Poems," http://etext.lib.virginia.edu/chinese/frame.htm.
Investigating Literature
Choose a place that you love. Using the poem by Wang Wei as an example, create
a "word picture" of that place. A word picture is any piece of descriptive
writing. It can be a poem or a paragraph.
Your word picture should include
- •
a title.
- •
information about what kind of place it is (for example, city or country) and
where the place you are describing is located.
- •
at least five specific details about the place you are describing.
- •
correct grammar and spelling.
When you have finished, read your poem or paragraph to a friend or family
member. Describe what kind of feeling you get when you read your piece aloud.
History Alive! The Medieval World and Beyond, Investigating Literature
