Courtesan poetry of the Late Ming and early Qing dynasties

Type :

Term papers

Pages :

5 pages

Format :

.doc

Published date :

07/29/2009

Category :

Philosophy & literature

Sub category :

Literature

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Summary :

Introduction
Courtesan culture of the late Ming dynasty
Liu Shi's poems
Elements of nature in the poems
Liu's marriage to Qian Qianyi
Description of the poem
Wang Wei's poems
Conclusion
Works cited

Abstract

The strength, talent and individuality of the courtesan poets of the late ming and early qing period served to help develop courtesan poetry into a unique and important genre of poetry. courtesan poets were pioneers that forged a new path in both the social realm and the literary realm, transcending traditional gender barriers and creating unique poetry drawing from their own lives and experiences. Although courtesan poets often stemmed from humble beginnings, their skills and talents helped to catapult them to a level "on a par with the equally erudite gentry wives" (Ko, 76). However, "the courtesan's self-conscious development of her talent or the mystique of her persona was often aided by a coterie of complicit admirers, who were sometimes also self-appointed mentors" (Li, 64). Although courtesan poetry later lost popularity after the beginning of the qing dynasty, it is preserved in multiple anthologies, and helped to set a precedent for later women's poetry. Although the success of courtesan poetry in the late ming and early qing dynasties was largely due to its promotion by well-known male literati, courtesan poetry was an admirable genre in its own right, thanks to the talent, skill, and pioneering spirit of courtesan poets. This paper will discuss courtesan poetry and how it helped create a redefinition of gender boundaries, and expanded the aspects of life in which certain women could participate. The focus will be on three of the most famous courtesan poets, Liu Shi, Liang Xiaoyu, and Wang Wei. This paper will reflect on the significance their poetry had, their skills, talents, and themes of their poems, and how these three women served as pioneers in women's poetry.