New Medieval Books: Hiding in Caverns Formed from Old Roots

Hiding in Caverns Formed from Old Roots: The Collected Poems of Yu Xuanji

Translated by Lucas Klein

Oxford University Press
ISBN: 978-0-19-777817-3

Yu Xuanji is celebrated as the greatest female poet of the Tang Dynasty. This book presents the original Chinese texts alongside English translations of her surviving poems, as well as selected writings that illuminate her extraordinary life.

Excerpt:

Today Yu is one of the most famous poets in premodern Chinese literature. To reach such renown, however, her reputation had to overcome the patriarchal and elitist culture in which she lived and was evaluated, as  well as the facts of her short – in fact, truncated – life.

Who is this book for?

If you’re looking to read remarkable poetry—from the Tang era, pre-modern China, or by women poets—this collection deserves a place on your list. Yu Xuanji’s work becomes even more compelling when you learn about her dramatic life, which was remarkably eventful for someone who died in her mid-twenties.

The Translator

Lucas Klein is Associate Professor at Arizona State University, where he researches and translates medieval Chinese literature.

You can learn more about this book from the publisher’s website.

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