Module 4: Chinese Literature
Contents:
Introduction to Chinese Literature
Confucius’ Analects
Other Chinese Poets:
Wang Wei
Li Po
Tu Fu
Members:
Borbe, Jhonalyn Faith
Cotoner, Lhizbeth
Estrebor, Janeya
Rafael, Cheska Mikaela
BSE-ENGLISH 3
Chinese Literature
Objectives:
 Define the chinese literature
 Analyze the life and teachings of Confucius
 Identify the different Chinese Poets
Chinese Literature
 It is the body of works written in chinese.
 It is one of the major literary heritages in the world
 It reflects the chinese culture and it includes various literary genre from shang
dynasty up to the modern era.
 It consists of true feelings and have freedom to use any kind of format and
patterns.
 Mostly was made using the Classical Chinese a formal written language.
Characteristics
 Recorded or printed and made an aesthetic appeal
 Chinese literature visual appeal given rise of calligraphy in china. It is also
part of their lifestyle design.
 Chinese Literature is a vast varieties of form
 Chinese literature has been a potent factor in cultural unity of the chinese
people.
 Chinese Literature is characterized by its compactness and brevity
Confucius (Kong Fu Zi)
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Philosopher and teacher
Lived from 551 to 479 B.C.E.
Founder of Confucianism
4 major teachings of Confucius Jen, i, li, hsing
Five Books of Confucius
 Book of Odes
 Book of Documents
 Book of Changes
 Book of rites
 The Spring and Autumn Annals.
Four Books of Confucius
 Doctrine of the mean
 The Great Learning
 Mencius
 The Analects
The Analects of Confucius
The Analects: Book 1
Learning at Education
 Focused on the importance of learning at education.
 He believes that education is the key to both pesonal and societal
improvement.
 He believes that everyone should be educated.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"It does not matter how slowly you go as long as you do not stop ."
The Analects: Book 2
Self-Cultivation
 Focused on self-cultivation
 He believes that individuals should strives to improve themselves both morally
and intellectually
 He believes that this is a path to becoming a virtouos person.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, the man who does not
ask is a fool for life. ."
The Analects: Book 3
Relationships
 Focused on relationships
 He believes that individuals should treat others with respect and kindness.
 He believes that strong relationships were the key to a harmonius society
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"Do not do unto others what you would not want others to do unto you."
The Analects: Book 4
Government
 Focused on the Government.
 He believes that good government is essential for a prosperous society.
 He believed that leaders should be virtuous and should lead by example.
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One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"The wise find pleasure in water; the virtuous find pleasure in hills. The wise
are active; the virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful; the virtuous are longlived.."
The Analects: Book 5
Ethics
 Focused on Ethics.
 He believes in the importance of personal integrity and moral conduct.
 He believes that individuals should always strive to do what is right.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"The man who moves a mountain begins by carrying away small stones."
The Analects: Book 6
Filial piety
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Focused on Filial Piety.
He believes that individuals should respect and honor their parents and
ancestors
 He believed that this was the foundation of a harmonious society.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"When your parents are alive, do not travel to distant places, and if you have to
travel, you must tell them exactly where you are going"
The Analects: Book 7
Government and leadership
 Focused on Government and leadership.
 He believes that leaders should lead by and should always prioritize the wellbeing of their people
 He believed that leaders should be virtuous and should be willing to make
personal sacrifices for the greater good.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"The strength of a nation is derived from the integrity of the home."
The Analects: Book 8
Personal Conduct
 Focused on the personal conduct.
 Confucius believed that individuals should always strive to do what is right
and should avoid behavior that could harm themselves or others
 He believes that personal conduct is a foundation of a virtuous life.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"Virtue is not left to stand alone. He who practices it will have neighbors.."
The Analects: Book 9
Moral principles
 Focused on Moral Principles.
 He believes that individuals should be guided by moral principles and in all
aspects of their lives.
 He believed that moral principles were the foundation of a just and peaceful
society.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"A man who does not know what it means to be a gentleman. Doesn't know
what it means to be a human being."
The Analects: Book 10
The value of knowledge
 Focused on The value of Knowledge
 He believes that knowledge was essential for personal and societal
improvement.
 He believed that individuals should seek knowledge and should always be
willing to learn.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"Real knowledge is to know the extent of one's ignorance"
The Analects: Book 11
Wisdom and Understanding
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The 11th chapter of the analects of Confucius is focused on wisdom and
understanding. Confucius believed that wisdom and understanding were
essential for personal and societal growth. He believes that individuals should
strive to understand the world around them & men should use their
understanding to make wise decisions.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"Study the past if you would define the future."
The Analects: Book 12
Relationships with others
 The 12th chapter of analects of Confucius is focused on relationships with
others. Confucius believed that individuals should treat others with respect
and kindness. He believed that strong relationships where the key to
harmonious society.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
"Where so ever you go, go with all your heart."
The Analects: Book 13
Importance of rituals
 The 13th chapter of the analects of Confucius is focused on the importance of
rituals and traditions. Confucius believed that rituals and traditions were
important for building and maintaining social order. He believed that
individuals should respect and participate and rituals and traditions even if
they did not fully understand them.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
“The man who asks a question is a fool for a minute, a man who does not is a
fool for life.”
The Analects: Book 14
Responsibility and accountability
 The 14th chapter of the analects of Confucius is focused on responsibility and
accountability. Confucius believed that individuals should take responsibility
for their actions and should be accountable for their mistakes. He believed
that individuals who did not take responsibility for their actions were not
virtuous.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
“the cautious seldom err.”
The Analects: Book 15
Learning from the adversity
 The 15th chapter of the analects of confucius is focused on learning from
adversity. Confucius believed that individuals should not be discouraged by
adversity but should instead use it as an opportunity to learn and grow. He
believed that adversity was a necessary part of personal and societal growth.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
“Our greatest glory is not in never falling but in rising every time we fall.”
The Analects: Book 16
The importance of words
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The 16th chapter of the analects of Confucius is focused on the importance of
words. Confucius believed that words had great power and that individuals
should use their words carefully. He believed that individuals who use their
words to promote harmony and understanding were virtuous.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
“The wise find pleasure in water. The virtuous find pleasure and hills. The wise
are active. The virtuous are tranquil. The wise are joyful. The virtuous are longlived.”
The Analects: Book 17
The importance of reflection
 The 17th chapter of the analects of Confucius is focused on the importance of
reflection. Confucius believed that individuals should reflect on their actions
and their lives and should use that reflection to make improvements. He
believed that reflection was necessary for personal and societal growth.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
“Cautious seldom make mistakes.”
The Analects: Book 18
The importance of music
 The 18th chapter of the analects of confucius is focused on the importance of
music. Confucius believed that music had the power to inspire and influence
individuals. He believes that individuals should listen to and create music that
promotes harmony and understanding.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
“Without music life would be a mistake.”
The Analects: Book 19
The importance of ethics
 The 19th chapter of the analects of Confucius is focused on the importance of
ethics. Confucius believed that individuals should be guided by ethical
principles in all aspects of their lives. He believed that ethical behavior was
essential for personal and societal growth.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
“What you do not want done to yourself, do not do to others.”
The Analects: Book 20
The importance of self improvement
 The 20th chapter of the analects of Confucius is focused on the importance of
self improvement. Confucius believed that individuals should constantly strive
to improve themselves in all aspects of their lives. He believed that selfimprovement was necessary for personal and societal growth.
One of the most famous sayings from this chapter was:
“Learning without thought is labor lost, thought without learning is perilous.”
Themes:
 Self-restraint
 Honesty & Integrity
 Self-mastery, Discipline, & Improvement
Other Chinese poets
Wang Wei
 Chinese musician, painter, poet, and politician of the middle Tang dynasty
Li Po
 Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty
Tu Fu
 Chinese poet and politician during the Tang dynasty.
Wang Wei
 Wang Wei was a versatile figure during the Tang dynasty, excelling in poetry,
painting, music, and statesmanship.
 He held bureaucratic positions in the Tang court, both in the capital and in
Shantung province, embodying humanist ideals.
 Wang Wei endured the Anshi Rebellion (755–759) and suffered the losses of
his wife and sister.
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He retired to his country villa on the Wang River, deepening his study of
Buddhism and producing many of his finest poems.
 Wang Wei founded the Southern School of painter-poets, specializing in
landscape painting and innovating techniques like "breaking the ink."
 His actual paintings no longer exist, but his spiritual landscape style
influenced many artists.
 Wang Wei's poetry reflects Zen Buddhist principles of detachment and
simplicity, often focusing on natural elements rather than human presence.
 His poems are widely included in anthologies, and he is often mentioned
alongside other prominent Tang dynasty poets like Li Po and Tu Fu.
Wang Wei's Poems
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A Green Stream
Answering Vice-Perfect Chang
The Beautiful Hsi-Shih
Bound Home to Mount Sung
Harmonizing a Poem by Palace-Attendant Kuo
In a Retreat among Bamboos
In My Lodge at Wang-Ch’uan after a Long Rain
Lines
Lonely
A Message to P’ai Ti
Mount Chung-Nan
My Retreat at Chung-Nan
News from Home
On the Way to the Temple
A Parting
A Song at Wei-ch’eng
A Song of Young Girls from Lo-Yang
Thinking Master Zhang with a Poem
A view of the Han River
A Farmhouse on the Wei River
By: Wang Wei
In the slant of the sun on the country-side,
Cattle and sheep trail home along the lane;
And a rugged old man in a thatch door
Leans on a staff and thinks of his son, the herdboy.
There are whirring pheasants, full wheat-ears,
Silk-worms asleep, pared mulberry-leaves.
And the farmers, returning with hoes on their shoulders,
Hail one another familiarly.
…No wonder I long for the simple life
And am sighing the old song, Oh, to go Back Again!
Li Po (Li Bai)
 His formal education began at the age of ten, and he was deeply influenced
by Taoism.
 Although he expressed a desire to become an official, he never took the
Chinese civil service examination.
 Instead, he chose a carefree life of travel, drinking, and poetry, which
fascinated both aristocrats and common people.
 Around 742, he was introduced to Emperor Xuanzong.
 During his travels, he met various people, married the daughter of a retired
prime minister, and settled in Hubei.
 His journey took him to many places in China, and he even held a position at
the Hanlin Academy, where he produced captivating love poems for the
emperor.
 His friendship with another famous poet, Du Fu, was important to both of
them.
 Li Bai was involved in a rebellion against the emperor during the An Lushan
Rebellion, leading to his exile but eventual pardon.
 He was posthumously appointed to an official position by Emperor Daizong,
but he had already passed away.
 Legend has it that he drowned while attempting to embrace the moon's
reflection in a river, but in reality, he committed suicide, as indicated by his
farewell poem.
Li Po's Poems
 Alone and Drinking under The Moon
 Alone looking at the Mountain
 Autumn River Song
 Drinking Alone
 Amidst The Flowers
 A Vindication
 A mountain Revelry
 About Tu Fu
 Clearing At Dawn
 Green Mountain
 Bathed And Washed
 Down From The Mountain
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Nefarious War
Climbing West of Lotus Flower Peak
Quiet Night Thoughts
Bringing in the Wine
Before The Cask Of Wine
Chiang Chin Chiu
Amids The Flowers a Jug of Wine
By: Li Po
Amidst the flowers a jug of wine,
I pour alone lacking companionship.
So raising the cup I invite the Moon,
Then turn to my shadow which makes three of us.
Because the Moon does not know how to drink,
My shadow merely follows the movement of my body.
The moon has brought the shadow to keep me company a while,
The practice of mirth should keep pace with spring.
I start a song and the moon begins to reel,
I rise and dance and the shadow moves grotesquely.
While I'm still conscious let's rejoice with one another,
After I'm drunk let each one go his way.
Let us bind ourselves for ever for passionless journeyings.
Let us swear to meet again far in the Milky Way.
Tu Fu (Du Fu)
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His father was a minor scholar-official, and he received a typical education for
a future civil servant, studying Confucian classics and producing early poems.
Du Fu's greatest ambition was to serve his country as a successful civil
servant, but he faced challenges in achieving this goal.
Du Fu met the famous poet Li Bai (Li Bo) in 744, and they formed a
friendship. This connection significantly influenced Du Fu's poetic
development.
His life was greatly affected by the An Lushan Rebellion of 755, leading to
almost constant unrest in his last 15 years.
He is known for his extensive body of work, with nearly 1,500 preserved
poems.
Du Fu is often referred to as the "Poet-Historian" and the "Poet-Sage" due to
the historical and moral themes in his poetry.
His poems cover a wide range of subjects and are known for their technical
excellence.
Du Fu's work has had a lasting impact in both China and Japan, and he is
considered one of the greatest poets in world literature.
While he faced hardships and challenges in his life, his poetry reflects his
compassion, sense of history, and moral engagement, making him a beloved
figure in the literary world.
Du Fu's influence extended to later poets and continues to be felt in modern
literature.
Tu Fu's Poem
 Lone Wild Goose
 Advent Of Spring
 Full Moon
 Morning Rain
 Moonlit Night
 Alone, Looking For Blossoms Along The River
 Day's End
 I Stand Alone
 Gazing At The Sacred Peak
 Ballad Of The Army Carts
 Behind The Gates Of The Weathy
 A Woman Of Quality
 Looking At Mount Tai
 Dreaming Of Li Bai 1
 Dreaming Of Li Bai 2
 Restless Night
 A Second Farewell To Governor Yen Wu At The Fenggji Post Station
 Meeting Li Guinan In The South
 By The Lake
 Ballad Of The Press-Gang At Shihao Village
Restless nights
By: Tu Fu
As bamboo chill drifts into the bedroom,
Moonlight fills every corner of our
Garden. Heavy dew beads and trickles.
Stars suddenly there, sparse, next aren't.
Fireflies in dark flight flash. Waking
Water birds begin calling, one to another.
All things caught between shield and sword,
All grief empty, the clear night passes.
REFERENCES:
Chinese literature | History, Authors, Classics, Books, Characteristics, & Facts. (n.d.). Britannica.
Retrieved October 22, 2023, from https://www.britannica.com/art/Chinese-literature
Wilson, T. A. (n.d.). Cult of Confucius. Retrieved October 22, 2023, from
https://academics.hamilton.edu/asian_studies/home/culttemp/sitepages/fiveclassics.
Csikszentmihalyi, M. (2020, March 31). Confucius (Stanford Encyclopedia of Philosophy). Stanford
Encyclopedia of Philosophy. Retrieved October 22, 2023, from
https://plato.stanford.edu/entries/confucius/
Alcayde, K. (2020, December 4). LESSON 7 - Analects of Confucius | PDF | Analects | Confucianism.
Scribd. Retrieved October 22, 2023, from https://www.scribd.com/document/486895394/LESSON-7Analects-of-Confucius