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Beschreibung

China's early medieval period, from the fifth through the early seventh century, from the Northern and Southern Dynasties through the unified Sui, was a time of political fragmentation, military strife, and ethnic conflict. It also witnessed brilliant artistic creations as well as a full flowering of court culture, with poetry at its heart. How did poetry come to be regarded as the most potent form of cultural capital, a privileged literary genre, and a foundational skill for members of the elite? How was poetry transformed from an instrument of empire building to a venue for articulating personal trauma and voicing critique of the state?

Tracing the evolution of poetry's role in Chinese society, Writing Empire and Self uncovers the profound cultural changes that took place in the early medieval era. Xiaofei Tian argues that in this period, a social community, eventually known as the "scholar elite" and treated as if it had always been a permanent fixture of the Chinese social order, came into being. She investigates the formation of this community, which left its mark on all later Chinese arts and letters, through a careful account of its history and textual production. Combining meticulous readings of numerous previously untranslated texts with a long-term, large-scale view of social and cultural history, Writing Empire and Self offers a fresh perspective on poetry's intricate relationship with the state.

China's early medieval period, from the fifth through the early seventh century, from the Northern and Southern Dynasties through the unified Sui, was a time of political fragmentation, military strife, and ethnic conflict. It also witnessed brilliant artistic creations as well as a full flowering of court culture, with poetry at its heart. How did poetry come to be regarded as the most potent form of cultural capital, a privileged literary genre, and a foundational skill for members of the elite? How was poetry transformed from an instrument of empire building to a venue for articulating personal trauma and voicing critique of the state?

Tracing the evolution of poetry's role in Chinese society, Writing Empire and Self uncovers the profound cultural changes that took place in the early medieval era. Xiaofei Tian argues that in this period, a social community, eventually known as the "scholar elite" and treated as if it had always been a permanent fixture of the Chinese social order, came into being. She investigates the formation of this community, which left its mark on all later Chinese arts and letters, through a careful account of its history and textual production. Combining meticulous readings of numerous previously untranslated texts with a long-term, large-scale view of social and cultural history, Writing Empire and Self offers a fresh perspective on poetry's intricate relationship with the state.
Über den Autor
Xiaofei Tian is Ford Foundation Professor of East Asian Studies at Harvard University. Her many books include Tao Yuanming and Manuscript Culture: The Record of a Dusty Table (2005); Beacon Fire and Shooting Star: The Literary Culture of the Liang (502-557) (2008); and Visionary Journeys: Travel Writings from Early Medieval and Nineteenth-Century China (2012).
Details
Erscheinungsjahr: 2026
Genre: Geschichte, Importe
Rubrik: Geisteswissenschaften
Medium: Taschenbuch
Inhalt: Einband - flex.(Paperback)
ISBN-13: 9780231223140
ISBN-10: 0231223145
Sprache: Englisch
Einband: Kartoniert / Broschiert
Autor: Tian, Xiaofei
Hersteller: Columbia University Press
Verantwortliche Person für die EU: Libri GmbH, Europaallee 1, D-36244 Bad Hersfeld, gpsr@libri.de
Maße: 233 x 158 x 25 mm
Von/Mit: Xiaofei Tian
Erscheinungsdatum: 11.08.2026
Gewicht: 0,624 kg
Artikel-ID: 135998012