Qu Yuan

Name: Qu Yuan
ISBN: 9787512509368

梁艳芳International Culture Publishing Corporation · ChinaJul 2020

2.8

Word count: 66K words
Chapters: 34
ISBN: 9787512509368

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Summary

Qu Yuan (c. 340 – c. 278 BCE): poet of the State of Chu during the Warring States period. Personal name Ping, courtesy name Yuan; he also called himself Zhengze, courtesy name Lingjun. A member of the Chu nobility. He first served King Huai of Chu, holding the offices of Zuotu and Sanlü Dafu. A man of wide learning, he advocated clear laws and institutions, the promotion of the worthy and capable, an alliance with the State of Qi in the east, and resistance to the powerful Qin in the west. He was later slandered and removed from office by nobles such as Zilan and Jinshang. Under King Qingxiang of Chu he was exiled and long wandered the Yuan and Xiang river valleys. When Chu's government grew even more corrupt and its capital Ying (present-day Shouxian, Anhui) was taken by Qin forces, he could not save Chu from ruin and, deeply aware that his political ideals could never be realized, drowned himself in the Miluo River. Building on Chu's local literary traditions, he created a new form, the sao style, which, with sumptuous language and rich imagination, fused myth and legend, gave voice to intense feeling, and shaped vivid images. Works such as Li Sao are grand in scale and markedly different from the Book of Songs, and they exerted a profound influence on later ages. His surviving works are preserved in the Chu Ci, compiled by Liu Xiang of the Western Han.

Editor's review

Liang Yanfang's Qu Yuan is a biography that seeks to recover the inner world of a historical figure. Set against the Warring States period, the author probes the complex life of Qu Yuan as statesman, poet, and ultimately cultural symbol. The book not only traces the background and core ideas of such celebrated works as Li Sao and the Nine Songs but focuses on Qu Yuan's ideals and struggles within the political vortex of Chu, revealing the deeper reasons his vision of 'good governance' failed. Grounded in historical sources while incorporating a degree of literary imagination, the author gives the figure greater fullness, helping readers across time to understand Qu Yuan's fervent patriotism and lonely quest. For readers who wish to go beyond the simple label of 'patriotic poet' and understand Qu Yuan's intellectual development, political views, and tragic fate, this book offers a fairly systematic starting point. Its narrative is plain and avoids excessive academic difficulty, though some inferences rest on limited sources and readers should keep a critical eye.

Who it's for

A good fit for

History enthusiasts interested in Qu Yuan's life and his era
Beginners in classical literature who want to understand the literary value and creative background of the Songs of Chu
Readers seeking models of the scholar's spirit and character in traditional Chinese culture
Teachers or students in need of biographical material on the figure

Not a good fit for

Professional historians seeking rigorous textual research and the latest archaeological findings
Readers expecting a fully fictionalized, highly dramatic adaptation

Reading tips

Read alongside selected passages from the Songs of Chu to enter Qu Yuan's literary world
Note where the text distinguishes historical record from the author's reasonable inference
Compare Qu Yuan with thinkers of his own and other cultures to appreciate his uniqueness

About the publisher

International Culture Publishing Corporation China · Founded in 1984

International Culture Publishing Corporation is a publisher known for introducing foreign literature and world classics, with about 283 relevant titles in the database. Its representative books include Goethe's The Sorrows of Young Werther, Hesse's Siddhartha, Jiménez's Platero and I, and Gibran's The Prophet, as well as cultural readings such as Zhu Guangqian's Twelve Letters to Youth and Common Talk on Classics. In psychology, it offers the nine-volume Collector's Edition of C. G. Jung's Works, covering social psychology and applied psychology. Its author resources include Goethe, Hesse, Jiménez, Jung, and Zhu Guangqian, along with Chinese authors involved in translation and compilation. Its publishing focus is on foreign literature, classic works, psychology, and culture, serving both academic and general readers. Public information is limited, and the above is based mainly on the books in the database.

版权信息
“中小学课本里的名人传记丛书”前言
少年时光
出身于贵族家庭
少年崭露头角
博闻强识小辩才
橘林会友论政
游历觅得好姻缘
登上仕途
获得帝王的赏识
初次入朝面君
彻夜畅谈变法之事
被楚怀王委以重任
出色的外交才能
变法图强
潜心草拟新法
制定新法令震惊朝野
潜心制定新《宪令》
改革受到重重阻碍
遭到他人的陷害
忧国忧民
与张仪激烈辩论
再次出使齐国
对楚怀王充满愤慨
在动荡的时局中
流放汉北作《离骚》
多舛命运
教训学生子兰
放逐江南荒僻之地
时刻心系楚国
未曾忘国之忧
独醒的忧国之士
山河破碎的痛苦
一颗巨星的陨落

FAQ

Is this book a novel or a historical biography?

It is primarily a biography based on historical sources, but it incorporates literary invention in details and psychological portrayal to bring the figure vividly to life; it is not a fully fictional novel.

What is distinctive about the book's interpretation of Qu Yuan's suicide by drowning?

The author sees it not merely as an act of political despair but, from the perspective of Qu Yuan's philosophy and personal ideals, as an ultimate commitment to his ideals and beliefs—the completion of a cultural personality.

Is this book suitable for middle school students?

The language is fairly plain, making it suitable as supplementary reading for middle school students to deepen their understanding of related textbook chapters; critical reading under a teacher's or parent's guidance is recommended.

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About the author

梁艳芳 Author

Liang Yanfang is a Chinese-language book author about whom little public information is currently available. Only one work by her is held in the collection: a biographical title, Qu Yuan. Based on the available information, her writing concerns figures from Chinese history and literature, taking as its subject the poet Qu Yuan of the state of Chu during the Warring States period. Qu Yuan is an important poet and statesman in the history of Chinese literature, and his life and the works of the Chu Ci have long been common subjects for biographical writing. Liang Yanfang's book is classified under general biography, suggesting an approach that focuses on presenting the subject's life rather than on specialized scholarly inquiry. Because there is no record of the author's life, education, or other works, it is difficult at present to judge her overall writing style or the development of her work, or to assess the book's specific influence among works on similar themes. Readers who wish to understand her writing may do so by considering the narrative approach and the angle from which Qu Yuan is presented.