Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley door pickup 10am - 7pm 3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
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  • Open Daily: 10am - 10pm
    Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm

    3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
    612-822-4611

Open Daily: 10am - 10pm | Alley-side Pickup: 10am - 7pm
3038 Hennepin Ave Minneapolis, MN
612-822-4611
A Multidimensional Study of Tao Yuanming: Textual Research, Philosophical Significance, Rhetoric and Reception

A Multidimensional Study of Tao Yuanming: Textual Research, Philosophical Significance, Rhetoric and Reception

Zhixi, Qian

Hardcover

Series: China Perspectives

Literary CriticismGeneral PoetryTaoism

ISBN10: 104130319X
ISBN13: 9781041303190
Publisher: Routledge
Published: Jul 20 2026
Pages: 454
Weight: 1.82
Height: 1.00 Width: 6.14 Depth: 9.21
Language: English

This book examines the life, philosophy, works and influence of Tao Yuanming, one of the most emblematic poets in ancient China. It sheds light on his lasting poetic and spiritual significance within the Chinese cultural tradition.

The study takes a multi-faceted approach to the poet. The first part addresses the contested scholarly questions surrounding his biography, such as his lifespan and social position. The second part explores his life philosophy of Spirit-Oriented Nature as a universal framework for human existentialism. The third part further examines his literary concept of non-utilitarian aesthetics, which emphasizes the intrinsic value of art detached from worldly pragmatism. It also analyses his poetic practice, which is governed by the principle of naturalness and synthesizes mimetic realism with expressive lyricism--an innovation that has earned him posthumous recognition as the canonical model for classical Chinese poetry. The final part focuses on his literary influence, tracing the ways in which his poetic artistry shaped poetry during the Tang and Song dynasties. It also examines how his cultural iconicity extends beyond literary achievement to embody the idealized persona of the literati in Chinese intellectual history.

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