Chinese Literature --- Poetry

Chinese Literature --- Poetry

In China, no one avoid being influenced by the reflection of Chinese literature, poetry.

It seems fair to say that poetry has entered more into the fabric of our life than it has in the West and is not regarded with that amused indifference which seems quite general in Western society. As we know, all Chinese scholars are poets, or pretend to be, and 50% of the contents of a scholar’s collected works usually consist of poetry. The Chinese imperial examinations, ever since about more than 1,000 years ago, have always included the composition of poems among the important tests of literary ability. Moreover, Chinese painting is closely connected with Chinese poetry, being akin to it, if not essentially identical with it, the spirit and technique.

Li Bai is China’s prince of vagabond poets, with his drink, his dread of officialdom, his companionship with the moon, his love high mountain scenery, and his constant aspiration. Li Bai’s romanticism ended finally in his death from reaching for the shadow of the moon in the water in the drunken fit.

To my mind, poetry is one of great heritages in China.