Excursions in Poetry
From the Chinese:
Glimpses of a Virtuoso Tradition
E Bruce and A Taeko Brooks
Chinese poems have dimensions beyond themselves. A poem may refer to a historical event, and may take into account previous evocations of that event. A poem may respond to an earlier poem, All this goes unnoticed in the usual anthology. It is explored in this book, which is not confined to the usual Tang favorites, but contexts them with the dynasties that came before and after, The continual innovation in form, some forms having roots in popular song, is noticed. Poetic prose is also given space.
All this is meant to help readers feel a little more at home in the world from which the poems come, and to which they contribute their share in an evolving literary tradition.
The long files for some chapters are here broken up for the convenience of our advance readers.
Contents
Cover
