first assignment:According to Longxi in his article on wen, while most Western culture considers literature to be an individual’s representation of “the real world,” Chinese culture considers gr

Welcome to Week Two

This week we turn our attention to the East. Initially, you will focus on very early Chinese literature and read some examples of ancient Chinese poetry. You will also meet the famous Chinese philosopher, Confucius and some of his philosophic maxims. Next we jump ahead to Medieval Chinese literature and you sample the Tang poetry of the poet Du Fu and also read Yuan Zhen’s “ The Story of Yingying.’

I think that the descriptions of what you are to read are a little vague, so here is my clarification:

Read “Early Chinese Literature and Thought” means to read the article “Early Chinese Literature and Thought.”

Read “Classics of Poetry” means to read the article of the same name AND to read the eleven poems that are in that section.

Read “Confucius” means to read the introductory article about Confucius, and you are to read the Analects selections “From Book I” through “From Book X.”

Read “Du Fu” means to read the introductory article about Du Fu and ALL of his poetry.

Read “Yuan Zhen, the Story of Yingying” means to read “The Story of Yingying.”

Suggestion: As you are reading, keep paper next to you and write down any particular themes that you see that might be a good choice for this week’s blog.

Topic 2 DQ 1

According to Longxi in his article on wen, while most Western culture considers literature to be an individual’s representation of “the real world,” Chinese culture considers great literature to be an actual “manifestation…in which elements of the world come together and become known and visible.” The term for this perspective on literature is “wen.” Identify the “wen,” that which is of supreme importance, in any one of the poems in “Classics of Poetry” and compare and contrast this with the “wen” of Confucius.

Up to only 100 words for both Dq’s

Topic 2 DQ 2

American scholar of Chinese Literature and Culture, Pauline Yu, claims that there is a tendency to read “The Story of Yingying” as a “document of Chinese culture” as cited in Luo's article on this topic. Select an example from the story that might support this statement, and explain whether you think she might be right.

Literary Blog Entry 2

Over the course of ENG-355, you will write eight blog entries of approximately 250 words per entry. Your entries are for a blog about themes found in multicultural works of literature. The target audience is both aspiring writers and language arts teachers. Consider ways you may mimic professional blogs such as the use of hyperlinks, trackbacks, or visuals. You will submit each individual entry as a word document. Save your entries for the culminating project in Topic 8 when you create the actual blog.

Each blog entry should answer these questions:

What theme would you emphasize from this selection of readings?

For your readers who are teachers, how would you use this theme to teach this topic to high school students?

What elements of popular culture could you use to engage the students in the theme?

This assignment uses a rubric. Please review the rubric prior to beginning the assignment to become familiar with the expectations for successful completion.

You are required to submit this assignment to Turnitin. Refer to the directions in the Student Success Center.