Week 2 : Love Explored in Ancient Eastern Literature

  Love Explored in Eastern Literature 

 

This week's reading Included literature works by  Du Fu, Classic of Poetry, and The Story of Yingying.

To give context and cultural context to the readings, students also read about Confucian Philosophy and a scholarly journal explaining the concept of "Wen." Moreover, the unifying theme in all the literature explored this week was love. 

 

 

In The Story of Yingying, we are engulfed in a passionate romance between Zhang and Miss Cui; it is love at first sight. Zhang is so smitten by Miss Cui that he forsakes all traditional customs of courting through a matchmaker; instead, he sends her passionate poetry, which she at first rejects but later accepts. 

 

In the Classic of Poetry, we read a series of poems that share desire, passion, and romance. In Zhongzi, Please, in a poem included in the Classics, a young woman expresses her desire for a man while telling him to respect boundaries not forsake but for the sake of her family. Zhongi, please, is a poem that shares how strong feelings like love and desire were submitted to cultural traditions. 

 

Another poem in the Classics is Quince, in which a man expresses that he is aware that he is in an unequal relationship. The man gifts extensive jewels to his love interest, but she returned a quince, peach, and a plum. However, the man believes that the love will last between them as long as he gives her expensive gifts. 

 

When reading about Du Fu, China's "poet-historian," we learn that his poetry not only marked historical events but they also depicted the deep love that he had for his wife. In Moonlight Night, Du Fu imagines his wife staring up at the same moon he does, but he is happy that she is safe while he remains captive in the city during the rebellion. Then in Quang Village, Du Fu shares that he has escaped the capital and is reunited with his wife and family. 

 

 

Teaching 

 

 

 Discuss the use of "wen" in Chinese literature and ask students to point out where they can see how words are used to "manifest" abstract concepts. 

Ask students if they can see examples of how words can describe abstract concepts in other literature they are familiar with. 

 

 

Pop Culture Connection 


 


Shakespeare is regarded as one of the greatest English writers; one of his greatest romantic tragedies is Romeo and Juliet. Much like The Story of Yingying, Romeo, and Juliet have a tragic ending. Shakespeare's works have been adapted into more modern storytelling and even turned into Hollywood blockbusters.   

You can watch the trailer and observe how the writers kept the original Shakespearan language, but the setting is modern. 



Pop Culture Connection to Literature Activities

Divide sections of The Story Yingying and students into groups and have students rewrite scenes of the story into a more modern setting.  

Ask students what they would change while keeping the poetic language the same( like we saw in the Shakespeare movie trailer)?

Ask students if "love" and its cultural customs cross the boundaries of time? Are those customs still relatable today? 

 

 

 

References

 

Longxi, Z. (1996). What is wen, and why is it made so terribly strange? College Literature, 23(1), 15.

 

 

Bevington, D. (2021). William Shakespeare | Plays, Poems, Biography, Quotes, & Facts. Retrieved 10 July 2021, from https://www.britannica.com/biography/William-Shakespeare

 

 

Confucianism | URI. (2021). Retrieved 10 July 2021, from https://www.uri.org/kids/world-religions/confucianism?campaignid=11754335235&adgroupid=114421536176&keyword=confucianism%20religion%20beliefs&device=c&gclid=Cj0KCQjwiqWHBhD2ARIsAPCDzamy9-viKyqBNtGEv7-_CPq6VBfwNSkdwiHb3IlLVQLHgjLBPn8SNaMaArJEEALw_wcB

 

Du Fu | Poetry Foundation. (2021). Retrieved 10 July 2021, from https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/tu-fu

 

Shakespeare, W. Romeo and Juliet: Entire Play. Retrieved 10 July 2021, from http://shakespeare.mit.edu/romeo_juliet/full.html

 

Zhen, Y. The Story of Yingying [Ebook]. Retrieved from https://chinatxt.sitehost.iu.edu/EAsia-survey/Cui_Yingying.pdf

 

 

 



 

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