The Everyday Timeless Poetry of the Tang Dynasty

Dates: December 7-14, 2023
Meets: Th from 11:00 AM to 1:15 PM
 Location: Bozeman, MT - Hope Lutheran Church
Cost:  $30.00

Sorry, the signup deadline has passed.

Date Day Time
12/07/2023Thursday11 AM to 1:15 PM
12/14/2023Thursday11 AM to 1:15 PM

Please note: This course program requires membership in a 2023-2024 OLLI at MSU Membership

Description

Inspired by Daoism and Buddhism, China's Tang Dynasty is considered the golden age of Chinese poetry. During a time of cultural flowering interrupted periodically by war and starvation, the Tang poets responded with plain-spoken poems of hardships and the natural world that resonate today. We will discuss several poets, including Li Po, Du Fu and Han Shan, examine their historical context, and respond with our poems written during class and elsewhere.

Course Takeaways

  • An understanding of Tang Dynasty history and life and their influence on its poets.
  • By considering several translations of Tang poems, an appreciation of the challenge of translating poems written in a homophonous language into English and the resulting touching and poignant results.
  • Inspired by the ancients of a very different culture, the joy of writing poems responding to our age and sharing them with others.

Scholarships

Apply for a needs-based scholarship to take this offering.

Meet the Instructor

Fee:  $30.00

Bozeman, MT - Hope Lutheran Church

2152 Graf St
Bozeman, MT 59718
View the location on a map.

Michael Smith

A retired chemist, Michael G. Smith has published over 230 poems and essays in literary journals worldwide. His books include a poetry volume, No Small Things, The Dippers Do Their Part, a collaboration of haibun and katagami with artist Laura Young, and Flip Flop, haiku co-created with Miriam Sagan. A Zen Buddhist, he volunteers with the Gallatin Watershed Council and at a Kathmandu, Nepal school.
Date Day Time Location
12/07/2023Thursday11 AM to 1:15 PM Bozeman, MT - Hope Lutheran Church
12/14/2023Thursday11 AM to 1:15 PM Bozeman, MT - Hope Lutheran Church