Topics in Early Medieval Literature

This semester the topic is a review of the canonical poets of the Six Dynasties from Tao Yuanming to Yu Xin.

Class Materials:

Major Poets of the Six Dynasties

WK 1/January 29

Introduction

WK 2-3/February 5, 12

陶淵明 [use 曾集本陶集]

Keywords: autobiography; self-representation; poetics of embarrassment; manuscript culture; conversion narrative

WK 4/February 19

謝靈運

Keywords: landscape “appreciation” [shang]; travel writing; meditation and enlightenment; “metaphysical discourse” (xuanyan); friendship [shangxin]

WK 5/February 26

顏延之

Keywords: court poet; kingship; empire; Jiankang

WK 6/March 4

鮑照

Keywords: pseudo biography; class; genre; voice

WK 7/March 11

謝朓

Keywords: courtliness; “clarity” (qing) as marker of class and status and as aesthetic ideal; quatrain

[Spring Break]

WK 8/March 25

沈約

Keywords: the poetics of things; poetry of clarity/transparency

WK 9/April 1

何遜

Keywords: structure and organization; “the perfect poem”; the “poetic eye”
  

WK10/April 8

蕭綱

Keywords: “thought-instant” (nian); focus; shadow; illumination

WK 11/April 15

庾信

Keywords: memory; trauma; loss; shame; diaspora; court poetry; mourning; autobiography; self-representation

WK 12/April 22

Presentations and final discussions