Dear colleagues and friends,
We are pleased to announce the launch of the “How to Read Chinese Poetry: From the Shijing to Qing Poetry” video series—an adaptation of the podcast series released in 2022-2023.
Co-hosted by ten leading sinologists from North America, the series brings highlights from the acclaimed book How to Read Chinese Poetry: A Guided Anthology (Columbia University Press) to a broad general audience.
Below are the highlights of our first topic. Please join us as we journey into the ancient world of The Book of Poetry (Shijing), guided by Professor William H. Nienhauser of the University of Wisconsin–Madison.
Episodes 1-2: The Book of Poetry – Courtship Poems
In the first two installments, Professor Nienhauser examines courtship poems from The Book of Poetry, the earliest anthology of Chinese poetry. The three courtship dynamics portrayed in “I Beg of you, Zhong Zi,” “The Banks of the Ru,” and “The Retiring Girl” offer contrasting perspectives on romantic pursuits in early China.
Episode 3: The Book of Poetry – A Paean to Zhou Dynastic Building
The next poem examined by Professor Nienhauser is “Mian” (Woven). Like many of the Da Ya (Greater Odes), “Woven” celebrates two heroic ancestors who laid the groundwork for their descendants to overcome the Shang dynasty and establish the Zhou. The poem’s structure lends itself to memorization and recitation, suggesting it may have been used in early Zhou court rituals, much as “The Star-Spangled Banner” commemorates a pivotal event in American history.
Have fun watching and feel free to share your thoughts!
Zong-qi Cai
Program Host