Sui Dynasty (589-618 AD) Too short a period to have literary achievements but it laid the foundations for the Tang dynasty by re-unifying China again.There were only 2 rulers: Sui Wen-Ti (589-604 AD) & his son Sui Yang-Ti,the classic example of the tyrant (604-618 AD).The Li family,of noble descent overthrew the Sui dynasty & founded the second Golden Age of the Tang dynasty. Tang Dynasty (618-907 AD) The second Golden Age saw the second age of expansionism,a glorious period of relative peace & prosperity in all areas,including the arts & literature, as seen in the Golden Age of poetry.
Important emperors: Tang Tai Tsung (627-649 AD),Tang Kao Tsung (649-683 AD),Empress Wu,the first female emperor (683-705 AD) & Tang Hsuan Tsung (712-756 AD).The later years of Hsun Tsung's rule laspsed into a period of internal weakness that persisted till the end of the dynasty with the increased attacks of the non-Chinese & the independence of the various military governors.The Tang rulers were all patrons of the arts & were often poets/artists themselves. Tang Poetry (618-970 AD) Tang Prose Tang Novels: The Strange & Mysterious Tales 10 Kingdoms & 5 Dynasties (907-960 AD) Another period of division with 10 states warring constantly against one another.Ruled by independent military governors who broke away from central control after the An Lu Shan rebellion,each state is named after 5 previous dynasties & hence the origin of 5 dynasties in the name of this period,for example,there is a state called the Southern Tang.Eventually the Zhao/Chao family of 1 state united China & founded the Song dynasty.Fortunately,it saw the creation of a new form of poetry called 'chih' that would later reach its apex in the Sung dynasty. ~(Index of Site)~
--usually 5 words per line or 7 words per line
--peak of Chinese poetry
--more than 50000 poems created & more than 60 poets with their own individual styles,coming from all walks of life lived.It was a situation never seen before.
Classification of Tang poetry by time period:
a.Early Tang (618-712 AD/ 1st 100 years)
--the beginnings of Tang poetry at its initial stages
b. Prosperous Tang (712-762 AD)
--the reign of Hsuang Tsung,patron of the arts,poet himself,longest reigning Tang ruler
--Representative poets : Li Po,Tu Fu,Wang Wei
c.Mid Tang (762-782)
--weakening empire in the aftermath of the An Lu Shan rebellion (755-762 AD) & attacks from the nomadic tribes,never fully recovering from the disastrous effects
--Representative poet : Po Chu-yi
d. Late Tang (782-907 AD)
--slow decline & eventual fall of empire in 907 AD
--further development of poetry
--Representative poet : Li Shang Yin (pessismistic)
The 3 Most Important poets:
1.Li Po (701-762 AD)
--Also known as Li Bai or Li-Pai,& his potrait can be seen on this page
--Given the title of 'Heavenly Poet' (shih-xian) by people
--most influential & most famous poet in Chinese history
--Romantic in style,use of hyperbolic language & imagery without making it seem excessive,passionate & imaginative
--works cover a wide range of topics,including politics,nature,social issues
2. Tu Fu (712-770 AD)
--Title of 'Saint of Poetry' (shih-sheng)
--Realistic poet always concerned with social issues
--sorrowful yet not over-lamenting
--equally as significant in achievements as Li Po
3.Po Chu-yi (772-846 AD)
--3rd most important poet
--Realistic poet whose poetry are clear & easy to understand,even by the masses
--Famous work:'Longlasting Sorrow' that praises the true love between Hsuang Tsung & Lady Yang
An example of Tang poetry:
'Thoughts in the Silent Night' (Jing Ye si) by Li Po
"The moon shines brightly above my bed,
Frost is on the ground.
Lifting my head up to the sky & see the bright moon,
I think of my hometown as i lower my head ."
Translated by Wen Teo on 20 December 1999
--known as 'shan wen',it is a genre of writing on various topics.
--Tang prose stands out as a result of movement that called for the revival of writing realistic,
straightforward essays ( 'jin wen' / present or new writing) instead of crafting it for the sake of it
as seen in the 'gu wen'/ past or old writing of the 6 Dynasties period.
--The models of writing 'jin wen' would be the works of the Chin-Han era.
--Main writers: Han Yu (Confucianist/ 766-824 AD/revoluntionary in ideas & style), Liu Zhong Yuan (778-819 AD/supporter of Han Yu/form should serve the purpose of content)
--Chinese novel-writing still at its initial stage
--Tang novels are known as marvel novels / 'zhi kuai' (the strange & mysterious),aiming to satisfy the curiosity of man & to serve as warnings to lead a morally upright life
--Influenced by the ghostly tales of the 6 Dynasties & myths
--Later influenced future drama & novels & Japanese literature by providing sources for content
Classification of 'zhi kuai' based on content:
a.heroic: sword-fighting & martial arts,heroic exploits with a mixture of love & politics
b.satire: fantasy landscape in dreams to undercut present social situation to make people realise the transience of wealth,fame & power
c.love: romance between scholars & noblewomen,or scholars & courtesans
d.historical: adapted from history with slight changes
