1. From One Page Songs to 4000 Page Books The history and creation of ancient Chinese poetry By: Lily Brooks

2. During the Beginning of Time This great creation started thousands of years ago Poetry just started out as songs on simple bamboo One of the first books of ancient poetry was “The book of Songs” this was written on bamboo sticks at about 600 B.C.E

3. The Meaning of the Lyrics The songs usually were performed in front of a big crowd to express the problems with the court officials to show the king how they were doing.

4. Confucius The Scholar (551-479 B.C.E) wanted his song to learn poetry so he could fit into educated society. After the time of Confucius the simple songs started to transform more into real poetry

5. The Set-Up of a Poem A typical poet used the first two lines to paint a picture for the reader The third line would offer a twist or a different point of view. And the last line would reflect on the poet’s thoughts

6. The Hard Truth Man in society were required to learn poetry in order to pass as civilized They would also have to pass it on to their kids

7. Shi Poetry Empress Wu Zetian who ruled in the Tang Dynasty (684-704) composed the shi style of poetry. Shi actually means “poetry” in Chinese.

8. Example Though a shower bends the river-grass, a bird is singing, while ghosts of the Six Dynasties pass like a dream around a Forbidden City, under weeping willows which loom still for three miles along the misty moat. Bynner 308

9. The Visual

10. So Think Twice When you think of the poets that we have/ had today like, Shel Silverstein or even Robert Frost. Their amazing and fascinating poetry would have been not created if it was not for the ancient Chinese poets.