Chinese Shih Poetry and Philosophy
Since the beginning of time, man has sought to explain the world around him. This is called philosophy, a Greek word which means "love of wisdom." However, over the millennia it has come to mean much more. The philosophies of the ancient Chinese people, whether they explain nature or present ways to live a just life, became so complex that simple prose could not suitably express their meaning. Yet paradoxically, the simpler, less exact form of poetry does put forth the ideas. Nowhere is this more exemplified than in the literature pertaining to the two major schools of ancient Chinese thought; Taoism and Confucianism. Poets such as Tu Fu and Po Chü-i expressed the ideas of Taoism and Confucianism, respectively, while their fellow poet T’ao Ch’ien expressed both, through their poetry. Confucianism is based on the ideas of Confucius, the man who gave the school of thought its name. The main goal of Confucianists was to return a gentlemanly society to China. The core of Confucianism concerned social structure. Confucius taught that a man should respect and obey those of higher rank than himself, whether they be the father of a family, or the emperor of a nation. But even with absolute obedience, Confucianists believed th
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Some common words found in the essay are:
Tao Chien, Sick Leave, Tu Fu, , Po Chü-i, Lao Tzu, Li Po, County Taoist, Buddhism Taoism, Taoism Confucianism, tao chien, tu fu, po chü-i, lao tzu, taoism confucianism, poem substance shadow, poem returning, ancient chinese, main goal, poets po, fate leads, poem returning dwell, substance shadow spirit, poets po chü-i,
Approximate Word count = 1160
Approximate Pages = 5 (250 words per page double spaced)
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