Cai Yan Composes Poetry About Her Capture by Nomads
At a glance:
- Series: Great Events from History: The Ancient World, Prehistory-476
- Categories: Women’s Issues, Literature, Publishing, Crime
- Subcategories: Authors, Writers, Poetry, Poets, Kidnapping, Hostages, Prisoners, Barbarians, Nomads
- Curriculum: Asian History
- Geographical Location: China
- Date: c. 220
Article abstract: Cai Yan, a Chinese woman, wrote poems about her capture by the nomadic Xiongnu, her subsequent ransom, and the heartache she felt at leaving two sons behind.
Summary of Event
The story of the life of the Chinese poet Cai Yan (or Cai Wenji, lady of refinement) is the locus of an important moment in both history and literature. Cai Yan’s experience has served until this day as an avatar of narratives about the tensions between cultures and peoples. The daughter of Cai Yong (Ts’ai Yong), an influential Han Dynasty (206 b.c.e.-220 c.e.)...
[The entire page is 1258 words long]
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