CSLC 150 The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons: Masterpieces of Classical Chinese Literature

The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons is a highly influential work on Chinese literary aesthetics, and its title also suggests two important constituents of the literary composition process by pre-modern Chinese authors: ideas and craftsmanship. By providing an introduction to classical Chinese literature through readings in translation, this course will integrate aesthetic appreciations and cultural understandings of the classical Chinese literature, and help students grasp the conceptions, styles and creative skills of different Chinese authors. The time range will cover the period from The Classic of Poetry (Shijing) through the Qing dynasty. Throughout the course, students will have a basic historical knowledge of the Chinese literary tradition, as well as a sense of how to go about interpreting Chinese literary texts. Classes follow a lecture-discussion format, so students must finish all assigned readings in advance and prepare to actively participate in class discussion. No knowledge of the Chinese language or of Chinese history is required (or assumed).