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Dialogues in the Dark
Interpreting “Heavenly Questions” across Two Millennia
Brief Description
Dialogues in the Dark traces how Chinese readers and scholars since the Han dynasty have variously interpreted the ancient poem "Heavenly Questions" (Tianwen), an enigmatic work attributed to Qu Yuan (fl. ca. 300 BCE). The poem, composed entirely in the form of questions, is an extended...
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Dialogues in the Dark
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Dialogues in the Dark traces how Chinese readers and scholars since the Han dynasty have variously interpreted the ancient poem “Heavenly Questions” (Tianwen), an enigmatic work attributed to Qu Yuan (fl. ca. 300 BCE). Nicholas Morrow Williams analyzes how the poem’s meaning evolved in different time periods and provides three new translations.
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Description
Dialogues in the Dark traces how Chinese readers and scholars since the Han dynasty have variously interpreted the ancient poem "Heavenly Questions" (Tianwen), an enigmatic work attributed to Qu Yuan (fl. ca. 300 BCE). The poem, composed entirely in the form of questions, is an extended inquiry into early Chinese cosmology and history.
Over centuries, readers of the poem came to radically different understandings, each providing a unique perspective on its meaning. The poem's reception history comprises three main stages:
First, the commentary compiled by Han scholar Wang Yi (ca. 89–ca. 158); second, the response by Tang poet Liu Zongyuan (773–819); and third, the interpretations developed subsequently by late imperial and modern scholars.
Nicholas Morrow Williams analyzes how the poem's meaning evolved in different time periods and provides three new translations of "Heavenly Questions" to represent the three stages, respectively.
The ultimate thesis of this study, inspired by the hermeneutics of Hans-Georg Gadamer, is that this poem is best understood in light of the different interpretations supplied by readers over time in lively dialogues that continue even now.
Series: Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series
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Dialogues in the Dark
Dialogues in the Dark traces how Chinese readers and scholars since the Han dynasty have variously interpreted the ancient poem "Heavenly Questions" (Tianwen), an enigmatic work attributed to Qu Yuan (fl. ca. 300 BCE). The poem, composed entirely in the form of questions, is an extended inquiry into early Chinese cosmology and history. Over centuries, readers of the poem came...Hardback$16000Unit price /UnavailableAvailableShips in 2-3 weeks -
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Book Details
INFORMATION
ISBN: 9780674299993
Publisher: Harvard University Press
Format: Hardback
Date Published: 26 August 2025
Country: United States
Imprint: Harvard University Press
Illustration: 3 illus., 1 color illus, 3 tables
Audience: Tertiary education, Professional and scholarly
DIMENSIONS
Width: 152.0mm
Height: 229.0mm
Weight: 250g
Pages: 400
About the Author
Nicholas Morrow Williams is Professor of Chinese at Arizona State University.
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