Women’s Poetry of Late Imperial China: Transforming the Inner Chambers

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Women’s Poetry of Late Imperial China Women’s Poetry of Late Imperial China t r a nsfor m i ng t h e i n n e r c h a m be r s Xiaorong Li A China Program Book u n i v e r si t y of wa s h i n g t o n p r e s s Seattle and London This book was supported in part by the China Studies Program, a division of the Henry M. Jackson School of International Studies at the University of Washington. This book was also supported by the Association for Asian Studies First Book Subvention Program.© 2012 by the University of Washington Press 17 16 15 14 13 12 5 4 3 2 1 All rights reserved. No part of this publication may be reproduced or transmitted in any form or by any means, electronic or mechanical, including photocopy, recording, or any information storage or retrieval system, without permission in writing from the publisher. University of Washington Press PO Box 50096, Seattle, WA 98145, USA www.washington.edu/uwpress Library of Congress Cataloging-in-Publication Data Li, Xiaorong, 1969 May 25– Women’s poetry of late imperial China : transforming the inner chambers / Xiaorong Li. p. cm. — (A China program book) Includes bibliographical references and index. ISBN 978-0-295-99205-1 (hardcover : acid-free paper) ISBN 978-0-295-99229-7 (pbk. : acid-free paper) 1. Chinese literature—Women authors—History and criticism. 2. Chinese literature—Ming dynasty, 1368–1644—History and criticism. 3. Chinese literature—Qing dynasty, 1644–1912—History and criticism. I. Title. PL2278.L49 2012 895.1'099287—dc23 2012011200 The paper used in this publication is acid-free and meets the minimum requirements of American National Standard for Information Sciences— Permanence of Paper for Printed Library Materials, ANSI Z39.48 1984.∞ this book is made possible by a collaborative grant from the andrew w. mellon foundation. This book is dedicated to my grandmother Wang Dongmei (1911–2010), who raised me. She did not have the opportunity to receive a formal education and remained illiterate throughout her life, but she was profoundly cultured and had a big heart. It is also dedicated to my teacher Professor Grace S. Fong, who led me to the field of women’s literary culture in late imperial China. ...