Poetry group explores Chinese verse
one of the images he will use in his talk - Credit: Archant
A Chinese Poetry Evening is being held in St Albans next Friday, January 23, with a focus on 12 centuries of poetic tradition.
It is being held under the auspices of the Ver Poets at 8pm in St Michael’s Church Hall in St Michael’s Street.
The evening will be hosted by China expert and translator Kevin Maynard who points out that Chinese civilisation is the oldest continuous culture on the planet – three millennia and still counting - with its tradition of poetry going back 2,500 years.
His talk will focus on the 12 centuries of the tradition – with slides to show the sister arts of painting, calligraphy, and ceramics. There will be many examples of fine contemporary translations of the poems.
The talk will also take in Chinese philosophy and the three key religions of Confucianism, Daoism and Buddhism.
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Kevin said: “The poetic tradition is every bit as varied as those of Europe and the Middle East. In fact it’s had a huge influence on modern styles of writing.
“There’s growing interest in China today because of its emergence as a global superpower. To understand its past is maybe to understand its present.”
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The evening is open to all and entry costs £4 with refreshments provided.
