Pao teachers bring classical Chinese poetry to life

Classical Chinese poetry is one of the most enduring elements of China's rich literary tradition. The universal themes it touches upon remain as relevant today as when the poems were composed hundreds of years ago. For that reason, the poems arefunto teach in a contemporary context; they never go out of style. I would like to thank our four Chinese teachers in the High School,Lina Chen,Claire Weng,Nina ChenandZhao Dan, for the outstanding job they have done teaching classical Chinese poetry to our students. Thanks to theirwisdom,enthusiasm,patienceandcreativity, our students' study of classical Chinese poetry has borne rich fruit.

—— Ms. Le, Head of High School Chinese

This article is contributed by Ms. Le, Head of High School Chinese, on the poem unit taught at YK Pao High School. Scroll down for original poems, drawnings, and music created by Pao students.Passing on traditions of Chinese cultureis an integral part of Pao School's mission. The study of Chinese poetry begins for Pao students in Year 8 and continues through Year 12, covering the study of notable classical as well as contemporary works, poetry criticism and even poetry composition. Once students have developed a solid foundation in Chinese poetry, they can hone their abilities of creative expression by composing original works.This year, Year 10 students engaged in a creative project combining poetry with Chinese painting. They started with learning the history of Chinese poetry, followed by exploring our campus for poetic inspriations expressed through a combination of music, painting and poetries.

01Developing a foundation inclassical Chinese poetry

In our study of the history of poetry, we started from the ancient poetry collections like The Book of Songs. Then we gradually moved into Tang dynasty and Song dynasty poetry. This was essential to giving students a foundation in classical Chinese poetry. One of the key types of classical poetry that the students learned about was seven-character poems. Then we asked the students to take what they learned about poetry theory and put it into practice, moving from imitation of the masters to developing their own distinct poetic voices.Despite their young age, Pao students such as Tommy Tao and Jasmine Wang are fast developing poetry composition skills of their own.

For the complete versions of their respective poems, please refer to the original Chinese text. Now let's read Tommy Tao's poem.

Selected students poemsReflections on An Autumn Day

—— by Tommy Tao

I write in an ancient style with a young heart,I wander freely on an endless road;

When discussing world affairs, I hope I have Ping Shu (from the Three Kingdoms era) by my side,

When envaluating people I hope to be in the company of De Zhu (from the Han dynasty);

If the world has yet to see an ambitious man,

Now I have arrived;

If I cannot realize my dreams this autumn,

I will travel near and far in the coming spring.

02Finding poetic inspirationinside and outside the classroom

At Pao School, education outside the classroom is as important as inside. As part of this poetry project, students were assigned to find signs of autumn all around campus. Teachers led the way on these fun excursions - subject to weather conditions, of course. By having the chance to observe autumn in its many manifestations on campus, students were inspired to create vivid representations of the scenes they saw, much as China's greatest classical poets have been through the ages. Pao students, however, added a contemporary twist to this age-old tradition: In their works, they combined poetry with not only painting but also photography.

As part of the assignment, students focused on one of five subject areas: rewriting, composition, painting, photography, or poetry history. Based on the subject they chose they created a unique work of art with an autumn theme. The below photos show the postcards drawn by our Pao students.Poems and postcard

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Drawn by Y10 Viola Ni andJenny Zhang

03From imitation to transformation:Reimagining classical Chinese poetry

At the end of the poetry unit, students went one step further by combining poetry with music. They chose a classical poem to be reinterpreted as a contemporary song, a fascinating exercise that tested their poetry comprehension, musical composition and even singing skills. Students showcased their creativity by reinterpreting classical Chinese poems as electronic dance music as well as rap songs.

Poem and music by Y10 Bill Wu and Henry LunOne student, Jenny Yang, reintrepreted the "Seeking Autumn"（《寻秋》） poem by combining it with pop singer Jay Chou's hit song "Hair Like Snow" （《发如雪》）. Another highlight was student William Wu's transformation of the classical Chinese poem "Preface to a Poem on the Prince of Teng's Pavilion"（《滕王阁序》）into a lively rap song.Poems and rap music

"Autumn", music and poem by Willian WuAutumn

Poem: Willian Wu

(Excerpts. For the complete version of the poem, please refer to the original Chinese text.)

In autumn I am helpess and unlucky so I step onto the Teng Wangge pavilion to carry on the legend.

Although my life is full of undulations, as I view the picturesque autumn scenery, I still have questions in my mind.

The sunset glimmers even more brilliantly in autumn than in summer.

The red leaves carried by the wind whirl to the ground.

I always feel the gentle warmth of the autumn wind blowing against my face.

If this poetry is not good enough, I will pick up a pen and rewrite it.

The sunset is infinitely beautiful, Even though it is close to the night, it can conceal worries.

It's not that difficult for a poet to write poems in the fall.

I am at ease and will stay that way.

Sing the most beautiful rhythm with your heart.

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