Chinese poetry

The essay should be a minimum of 700 words, which is roughly 3-4 pages of a test booklet when you write single-spaced. The essay cannot be in point form and must be written in English . (You may use Chinese for authors, titles and quotations if you wish.) How did Sima Qian’s 司馬遷 personal experiences affect the way he wrote history? You may refer to his “Letter to Ren An” 報任安書 and to pieces from the Historical Records 史記 (pp. 84-96, 135-144). Remember, in writing on these topics it is important to: 1. answer the question being asked in full; 2. show that you have read the primary texts ; prepare by sitting down with the texts to read through them carefully and make notes; 3. show that you are combining your own ideas with what you have heard in the lectures and read in the commentary in the textbook; you do not need to use footnotes—you can simply write “As was mentioned in lecture…” or “As I read in the textbook…”; 4. refer to specific primary texts to support your points—exact quotations are not necessary; you may paraphrase or cite texts in more general terms. Your essay will be graded using the following scheme: 3 pts Clarity of expression (spelling, grammar, paragraphs, structure) 6 pts Ideas and points made answering the question 6 pts Analysis (supporting points with reference to the texts)