Customer Reviews

Tao Qian and the Chinese Poetic Tradition: The Quest for Cultural Identity (Michigan Monographs in Chinese Studies)

5 star:		(1)
4 star:		(1)
3 star:		(0)
2 star:		(0)
1 star:		(1)

 

 

As the title says.... this is not a poetry book but a book of poetry criticism. Might be good to buy if you have a questions after reading David Hinton's T'ao Ch'ien.

This book is more about T'ao Ch'ien the man than about T'ao Ch'ien the poet or his poetry. It is so full of cliches and pieties that it does not do justice to the poet T'ao Ch'ien at all. If you are interested in T'ao Ch'ien's poetry, James Hightower's book on T'ao Ch'ien, though published years ago, is still one of the best, offering fine translation and detailed, thoughtful analysis of each poem.

This is the best study of any Chinese poet ever written in English. Kwong is not only a passionate advocate of Tao Qian's poetry; he also places Tao firmly within the cultural context of his time, compares his work with other great Chinese and western poets, and, finally, makes a strong case for Tao Qian as one of the very greatest poets ever. If you have any interest in poetry, Chinese history, or Chinese literature, read this book!