Hello everyone! This week we’ll be taking a look at the Shi Jing, or Classic of Poetry. It’s our first work from China on the History of Literature podcast.
The above image depicts the first poem in the collection: how gorgeous is that? I love the combination of a beautifully rendered poem and the serenity of Chinese art in the river-and-mountain style. Literature + nature = art made for Jacke, it seems.
The Classic of Poetry (or Book of Songs) is a collection of 305 poems that bubbled up out of folk songs and other traditional sources before being preserved as written poems by unknown authors. They were selected (from a group of several thousand) by Confucius roughly 2,500 years ago.
I’ll be talking about the 305 poems in the collection on Monday’s episode, and Confucius’ selection process, although I do spend quite a bit of time discussing American bookstores as well. All part of the fun.
Light posting today and this week as I do some traveling for the holidays. I hope you are enjoying some good family time as well.
And here’s a sneak preview within the sneak preview: 2016 looks like it might be a very big year for your old friend Jacke. Stay tuned!
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- Get the History of Literature podcast: iTunes | Android | RSS | More Subscribe Options
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- Episode 4 – Sappho): Listen | Play in new window |Download (Duration: 25:27 — 17.7MB)
Episode 3 – Homer: Listen | Play in new window | Download (Duration: 34:10 — 23.7MB)
- Episode 4 – Sappho): Listen | Play in new window |Download (Duration: 25:27 — 17.7MB)
- Visit the History of Literature website (or the HoL page on Facebook)
- About Jacke Wilson (link goes to website – or you can visit Jacke’s Amazon author page)
Image Credit: “Shi Jing“. Licensed under Public Domain via Commons.
Jacke Wilson 
