“How to Read Chinese Poetry English Videos”: A Big Hit—Viewership Quickly Approaching One Million

Dear Colleagues and Friends,

We are pleased to announce the release of four new installments in our ongoing English video series, “How to Read Chinese Poetry.” Delving into the Shijing, Chuci, and Yuefu traditions, these new episodes continue to “instruct and delight” a global audience.

The Advanced Institute for Global Chinese Studies (AIGCS) is dedicated to fostering in-depth scholarly exchange among institutions and scholars throughout the world. This series, co-hosted by ten leading sinologists from North America, represents a long-term commitment to that vision. To date, it has garnered about one million cumulative views with just 12 episodes. We extend our sincere gratitude to our viewers for their sustained interest and scholarly engagement.

Below are the highlights of Topics II to V:

Topic II: The Book of Poetry and Diplomacy

In this topic, Professor Wai-yee Li of Harvard University explores how poetry served as a tool for diplomatic negotiations and power struggles in ancient China. Episode 5 explores the struggle for hegemony through two scenes centered on the recitation (and creative manipulation) of odes. Episode 6 decodes the secret language of statecraft, examining how verses of love and kinship in the Book of Poetry were repurposed as a medium for diplomacy. Please click on the episode images to start watching.

Episode 5: Who is the Boss?

Episode 6: What Does It Mean to Say, “I Love You”?

Topic III: The Book of Poetry: The Han Canonization

This topic delves into the interpretive transformation that the Book of Poetry underwent during the Han dynasty. Episode 7 explores how the anonymous author of the “Prefaces to the Book of Poetry” reinterpreted “Osprey”—the first of the 305 Shijing poems—transforming it from a lively love song into a moral exemplum by means of gender switching. Episode 9 examines how three prominent Han commentators collaboratively allegorized a poem of seemingly disjointed elements, revealing how the very process of allegorization constituted an imaginative literary exercise. Please click on the images to watch the episodes.

Episode 7: A Love Song and A Moral Exemplum (“Osprey”)

Episode 9: Dead Deer Meat as a Gift (“There is a Dead Doe in the Wilds”)

Topic IV: The Lyrics of Chu: Qu Yuan and his Poetic Allegories

In this segment, Professor Fusheng Wu of the University of Utah unpacks the rich symbolism and enduring legacy of Qu Yuan’s poetry. In Episode 10, Professor Wu provides a concise introduction to the Chuci tradition, followed by a close reading of the poem “Xiang Jun” (“The Lord of the Xiang River”). In Episode 12, the focus turns to two spiritual journeys (supernatural flights) in “Lisao” or “On Encountering Trouble” that ultimately fail to realize Qu Yuan’s ideals. The analysis culminates in the poet’s final, fateful decision, illuminating his profound disillusionment with both his ruler and the society of his time. Please click on the episode images to start watching.

Episode 10: A General Introduction to Chuci

Episode 12: Spiritual and Imaginary Journeys in “Lisao” or “On Encountering Trouble”

Topic V: Yuefu Poetry: Political Satire or Coquetry?

In this topic, Professor Jui-lung Su of National University of Singapore discusses the two opposing interpretations of the poem “Mulberry Along the Lane,” one of the best-known yuefu songs in classical Chinese literature. Traditionally, “Mulberry Along the Lane” has been interpreted as a representation of social injustice, depicting a situation in which an official harasses a peasant girl. The other perspective holds that the poem is simply a playful verbal exchange between a man and a woman and a popular song about a clever lady who employs a witty and inoffensive way to turn down her suitor. Please click on the image to watch the episode.

Episode 18: Political Satire or Coquetry? An Ambiguous Song

Our forthcoming episodes will continue this scholarly journey, from Han dynasty ancient-style poetry, through Tang poetry and Song lyrics, all the way to poetic theory and practice in the Ming and Qing dynasties. Please subscribe to our channel and stay tuned!

Sincerely,

Zong-qi Cai
Program Host