|
The earliest examples of poetry that expresses warm enjoyment of human activities such as gathering food, hunting, farming, courtship and marriage, and festivals is found in the Chinese songs.
Most of the early Chinese songs are based on a set of the 305 poems, which is sometimes also referred to as the Book of Odes. The origins of the Chinese songs and poetry have been right from the beginning of the 12th and 7th Century BC.
It has been believed for long that the Chinese songs were first compiled by Confucius, who was incidentally a great admirer of the songs too. Many Chinese songs often approach the sensitive subjects in indirect ways.
Even the folk pieces of the Chinese songs, which comment in Chinese poetry are sometimes extremely oblique. Most times the listener is expected to do some work and research in order to understand the songs.
A lot of understanding is required to know and feel what exactly the poet or the writer of the Chinese song is trying to convey. The broader aspects of the Chinese songs sometimes also tend to provide a Confucian viewpoint.
The Chinese songs embody feelings strongly. They are based on the simple concept that feelings move inwardly, and are then further embodied in words.
When the words prove to be insufficient for expressing these feelings, recourse is made to sighs and exclamations for the ex-pression. When even the sighs and exclamations are insufficient for ex-pression, recourse is made to the ex-pressions of songs.
|
