The Songs of the South: An Ancient Chinese Anthology of Poems (Penguin Classics)

New York: Penguin Books, 2011. Reprint. Trade Paperback. Good. 5x0x7. Surface tears from sticker removal on spine and rear cover, spine creased, edges rubbed, ink name on blurb page, ink marks in Contents. 2011 Trade Paperback. 352 pp. Dating from the second century AD, this anthology is the second- oldest collection of Chinese poems in existence. The poems, originating from the state of Chu and rooted in Shamanism, are grouped under seventeen titles and contain all that we know of Chinese poetry's ancient beginnings. The earliest poems were composed in the fourth century BC, and almost half of them are traditionally ascribed to Qu Yuan. In his introduction to this edition, David Hawkes provides a fascinating discussion of the history of these poems and their context, styles, and themes.