QUIZ 5

1. Chinese literature reflects the ___ and ___

history of China and the impact of powerful
religions that came from within and outside the
country.
a. social, literary
b. political, social
c. political, cultural
d. philosophical, dynasty
2. The following are the PURUSARTHAs of Hindu
Religion, except for___
a. Dharma
b. Asramas
c. Kama
d. Moksha
3. The oldest collection of Chinese poetry and is
considered a model of poetic expression and moral
insight.
a. The Analects
b. The Parables of the Ancient Philosophers
c. The Book of Songs (Shih Ching)
d. Tao Te Ching

4. What rhetorical device is used in this line from the

Ramayana?
“Dearly, loved, devoted Sita! daughter of a royal line.”
a. onomatopoeia
b. alliteration
c. assonance
d. consonance
5. The Hindu belief that life is an illusion
a. dharma b. artha
c. maya d. kama
6. During this time, the people practiced a
religion based on the belief that nature was
inhabited by many powerful gods and spirits.
a. Shang Dynasty
b. Chou (Zhou) Dynasty
c. Ch’in Dynasty
d. Han Dynasty
7. This was the longest of all the dynasties and
throughout most of this period China
suffered from severe political disunity and
upheaval.

a. Shang Dynasty
b. Chou (Zhou) Dynasty
c. Ch’in Dynasty
d. Han Dynasty
On an Autumn Evening in the Mountains
How clear are the mountains after the new rain!
The dusk of the Autumn evening is pouring in,
As moon beams filter through the pine trees.
Cool spring water flows over white stones.
Alone washing girl returns homeward by the bamboo
grove.
The boatman sails his barge through the lotus patch.
Although Spring is long gone
Why cannot I linger over this pleasant view?
8. What is the dominant imagery in this poem?
a. visual b. auditory
c. tactile d. olfactory
9. "The sun was like a large ball of butter"
a. Personification
b. Paradox
c. Oxymoron
d. Simile

10. "The wall stared at me silently"

a. Simile
b. Personification
c. Inference
d. Metonymy
11."If I do not eat my daily papaya, I will surely
die"
a. Paradox
b. Personification
c. Hyperbole
d. Metaphor
12. "The road was a ribbon of moonlight"
a. Personification
b. Oxymoron
c. Metaphor
d. Inference
13."The wise fool is burning my taco"
Irony
Personification
Oxymoron
Metaphor

14."Flaming ice" is an example of what literary

technique?
Hyperbole
Metonymy
Synecdoche
Oxymoron
15. “You aren’t poor, you are economically
disadvantaged”
a. Irony
b. Personification
c. Euphemism
d. Hyperbole
CHINESE LITERATURE
Chinese Literature

PHILOSOPHY AND RELIGION

Chinese literature and all of Chinese culture has
been profoundly influenced by three great
schools of thought:
– Confucianism,
– Taoism
– Buddhism
Chinese religions are based on the perception of
life as a process of continual change in which
opposing forces balance one another.
Confucianism
• It provides the Chinese with both a moral
order and an order for the universe.
• It is not a religion but it makes individuals
aware of their place in the world and the
behavior appropriate to it.
• It also provides a political and social
philosophy.
 Confucius
Confucius was China’s
most famous teacher,
philosopher, and
political theorist,
whose ideas have
influenced all
civilizations of East
Asia.
• Confucian politics is hierarchical but not
absolute and the political system is
described by analogy with the family.
There are five key Confucian
relationships:
– emperor and subject,
– father and son,
– husband and wife,
– older brother and younger brother,
– friend and friend
 CONFUCIAN ETHICS
a. Jen or human heartedness are qualities or
forms of behavior that set men above the
rest of the life on earth.
– It is the unique goodness of man which
animals cannot aspire to.
– Also known as ren it is the measure of
individual character and such, is the goal
of self-cultivation.
 CONFUCIAN ETHICS
b. Li refers to ritual, custom, propriety, and
manner. Li is thought to be the means by
which life should be regulated.
– A person of li is a good person and a state ordered
by li is a harmonious and peaceful state.
– li or de as a virtue is best understood as a sacred
power inherent in the very presence of the sage.
– The sage was the inspiration for proper conduct
and the model of behavior.
 The Four Books of Confucianism

1) The Analects, (“Conversations," or

"Classics")

2) The Doctrine of the Mean

3) The Great Learning

4) Mencius
 The Analects (Lun Yu)
• The Analects (Lun Yu) is one of the
four Confucian texts.
• The sayings range from brief
statements to more extended
dialogues between Confucius and
his students.
• The Analects instructs on
moderation in all things through
moral education, the building of a
harmonious family life, and the
development of virtues such as
loyalty, obedience, and a sense of
justice.
• It also emphasizes filial piety and
concern with social and religious
rituals.
 From The Analects (II.1)

The Master said, “He who exercises

government by means of his virtue may
be compared to the north polar star,
which keeps its place and all the stars
turn towards it.”
 Five Classics of Confucianism
1) The Book of Documents
2) Book of Odes
3) Book of Rites
4) Book of Changes (I Ching or Classic of
Changes)
5) Spring and Autumn Annals
 TAOISM
• Taoism, was expounded by Lao
Tzu during the Chou Dynasty.
• Taoist beliefs and influences are
an important part of classical
Chinese culture.
• “The Tao” or “The Way” means
the natural course that the world
follows.
• To follow the tao of to “go with
the flow” is both wisdom and
happiness.
• For the Taoist, unhappiness
comes from parting from the tao
or from trying to flout it.
 Confucianism
Goal: Social balance/ harmony;
achieved through rulers and
citizens knowing their place
Dealt mainly with social
relationships
Proper conduct with others
Complete Obedience
Filial Piety
One should worship their ancestors.
Male Superiority (esp. elder)
Monotheistic Religion
Founded by Confucius
Daoism
Goal: To achieve balance in life
Dao – God or ‘The Way’
Created Tai Chi and Chinese
Chemistry
Practice of Healthy life style
Do not believe in earthly objects
Polytheistic
Founded by Lao Tzu
Followers tried to create
immortality
 LAO-TZU
• Known as the “old philosopher”, Lao-zi is
credited as the founder of Taoism
• He an elder contemporary of Confucius
who once consulted with him.
• He was more pessimistic than Confucius
was about what can be accomplished in
the world by human action.
• He counseled a far more passive
approach to the world and one’s fellows:
one must be cautious and let things
speak for themselves.
• He favored a more direct relationship
between the individual self and the dao.
BUDDHISM

• Buddhism was imported from India during the Han

dynasty.
• Buddhist thought stresses the importance of ridding
oneself of earthly desires and of seeking ultimate
peace and enlightenment through detachment.
• With its stress on living ethically and its de-emphasis
on material concerns, Buddhism appealed to both
Confucians and Taoists.