Gender and Textual Politics during the Qing Dynasty: The Case of the Zhengshi ji

In compiling the anthology Guaochao guixiu zhengshi ji (Correct beginnings: women's poetry of our dynasty) and its sequel, the female scholar-poet Yun Zhu (1771-1833) had, argues XIAORONG LI , explicit objectives: to celebrate the literary achievements of Qing-dynasty gentry-women and establish an orthodoxy of women's poetry in accord with contemporary attitudes toward literature and gender. Locating Zhengshi ji in the context of Qing anthologizing trends for both genders, Li examines both the rhetoric Yun Zhu and other editors adopted in their introductory comments and their anthologizing strategies. Through a comparison with other Qing anthologies, especially those mentioned in Yun Zhu's introduction, Li illustrates how women derived authority from the Confucian classics, particularly the Shijing, in efforts to seize a place in the literary world alongside their male counterparts.