Gregory Corso’s poem “Marriage” is an expression of the poet’s disgust with the concept of marriage as a (predominantly middle class) institution. It also displays how the poet’s battles between conforming and subverting the entire process. And yet beyond this, his intention is serious: he is searching for some ideal … Read the rest
Among the top poets in Chinese history resides Li Po.
In pre-modern times, he raised poetry to levels of expressiveness and impact never before reached. Unlike other great Chinese poets such as Tu Fu, Li Po’s work gained immediate attention. The main reason for this is that Li Po was … Read the rest
Believed to be compiled by Confucius, Shih ching or “Book of Odes” is a collection of 305 poems, dating from 1000 to 600 BC. These are believed to be the oldest existing examples of Chinese poetry.
The collection includes refined folk songs, ritualistic poems, dynastic legends and hymns for ancestral … Read the rest
In the life and history of the Chinese people, nothing is more tightly woven into their culture than poetry.
Composed by emperors and scholar-officials as well as peasants and farmers, poetry was the means by which they expressed their happiness and sadness, political anger and courtship.
Chinese poetry dates back … Read the rest