Collection of Qu Yuan
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Visual PoetRY
Qu Yuan was a poet and statesman during the Warring States period, and his influence on Chinese culture and literature can still be felt. Every year, Chinese people around the world celebrate the Dragon Boat Festival to commemorate his death by scattering rice in the water to feed the fish to symbolise that the fish will not eat Qu Yuan’s dead body, and by racing Dragon Boats. The Collection of Qu Yuan is an anthology of his poems, the best known of which is “Li Sao”. Instead of the traditional stitched binding of most Chinese classics, a cheaper, sleek, more affordable, modern binding means that Qu Yuan’s works can be read more widely. The case, cover, and pages all have embossed, wavy, ribbonlike lines that extend the flowing water imagery. The layout suggests pauses, cesuras, and tempo, so readers can visualise the rhythm of the printed verses, and the grey, white, and blue pages complement each other, conveying the romantic, melancholy moods associated with Qu Yuan’s poetry.
