The Book of Songs (Various) (11th-7th centuries BCE)

In The Book of Songs (also known as the Book of Odes or Shijing, compiled roughly 11th–7th centuries BCE), various anonymous authors created the oldest surviving collection of Chinese poetry and one of the foundational works of Chinese literature. Its 305 poems range from simple songs about courtship, love, marriage, farming, and everyday life to hymns, political criticism, and elaborate celebrations of kings and ancestors. Traditionally associated with Confucius, who was believed to have helped preserve or select its poems, the collection became one of the Five Classics and profoundly influenced Chinese literature, education, and philosophy for more than two millennia. In this episode, we explore the voices and images of The Book of Songs, the ancient society they reveal, and how poems about longing, work, family, ritual, and political power became an enduring cornerstone of Chinese culture.