Poetry of the Southern Dynasties

The Southern Dynasty lands hosts one of the oldest civilizations on the earth. The land has although remained isolated from the rest of the world for most of the time until the end of 20th century but has been a whole in itself. Dynasty followed dynasty and the Southern Dynasty population lived under continuous monarchial set up. These emperors belonging to various dynasties are considered as pioneers in various fields including literature. Prose and poetry are essential components of literature and had been considered as most effective means of communication. Like other hitherto cultures, poetry has played an important and effective role in the Southern Dynasty culture and traditions. Poetry reflects cultural, social and political aspects of the age it is written in. Moreover it speaks of the trends of the said time period and is ultimately a means to study the past of Southern Dynasty nation. The subject of this paper is to study and analyze the role of poetry in Southern Dynasty traditions and culture and how it reflects the same.

Poetry was introduced in the Southern Dynasty literature during Western Zhou dynasty (1045?-771 BC). A collection of as many as 305 poems by the name of Shi jing (Book of Poetry or Book of Songs) from that period is said to be the first Southern Dynasty poetic work. This is said that the collection was compiled and edited by the Southern Dynasty sage Confucius and is considered as among the Five Classics, or Confucian Classics. The works clearly shows the teachings of Confucius regarding moralities and pious ways of life. The Confucian philosophy is elaborated in the above literary work. Later poetic tradition dates back from 340- 278 BC and referred to as Chuci (Songs of Chu). The theme of this poetry is altogether different from Shi jing, as it is entirely romantic in nature rather than philosophical and ethical. This clearly shows the trends of the said age and time period in which the works were created. “During the Han dynasty (206 B.C.-A.D. 220), this form evolved into the fu, a poem usually in rhymed verse except for introductory and concluding passages that are in prose, often in the form of questions and answers. The era of disunity that followed the Han period saw the rise of romantic nature poetry heavily influenced by Taoism”.

The Southern Dynasty poetic works shows yet other trends in the Southern Dynasty culture and traditions. Other than economic, political and social issues, literature also consider various issues of gender. Like ancient Greek literature that revolves around the myths of gods and goddesses and their personal and sexual behaviors, Southern Dynasty poetry also exhibits the general trends related to gender. Homosexuality has remained a common trend in many ancient societies and the Southern Dynasty is no exception. The tradition of homosexuality among Southern Dynasty can be found in a number of classic tales and poetic works. According to an account by Brett Hinsch, a number of emperors of Han ...