of Ch'u, many of which  are attributed  to Ch'u Yuan

　　   (343? -278 b.c.e.), the first Chinese  poet known by

　　   name.  These  poems  differ  both stylistically  and

　　   thematically  from  the  poems  of the  Shih  Ching,

　　   bearing the unmistakable  influence of the religious

　　   culture  of the Ch'u state, which  was more  closely

　　   con-

　　   ────────────

　　   (15) Great  Preface  (Ta  Hsu) to  the  Shih  Ching,

　　　　   attribute to Wei Hong; included in Yu,pp.31-32.

　　　　　　　　　　　　  p.349

　　   nected  to its tribal origins  than was the agrarian

　　   culture to the north.  The Ch'u Tz'u poems are known

　　   for  detailed  descriptions  of magical  flights  to

　　   heavenly kingdoms and of encounters with the various

　　   gods  and goddesses  of the Ch'u pantheon, generally

　　   associated  with various  rivers and mountains.  The

　　   poets  of the south  anthologized  in the Ch'u  Tz'u

　　   blithely  describe  the ecstatic spirit journeys  of

　　   shamans  and meeting  with divine beings.  Exorcism,

　　   prophecy,  divination,  dream   interpretation,  and

　　   other occult  activities  were practiced  by the wu,

　　   many of whom were women.

　　   Lao Tzu

　　　　  Not  surprisingly, the  reputed  founder  to the

　　   school  of Taoism, Lao Tzu (Li Erh), is said to have

　　   been a native  of Ch'u.  Moreover, adherents  of the

　　   Taoist school were also predominantly from the south

　　   (as opposed  to the northern  base  of the Confucian

　　   school, Ju Chia).  Lao Tzu's  preference  for poetic

　　   expression  is reflected in the style of his reputed

　　   text,  the  Tao  Te  Ching.   The  mystically-tinged

　　   elements   of  the  Ch'u   anthology   reappear   as

　　   embodiments of metaphysical  truths in Taoist texts.

　　　　  Although  poetical in content, the form in which

　　   the Tao Te Ching  is written  does  not  conform  to

　　   traditional  models  of the  shih;  it does  fit the

　　   broader  definition  of poetry as recognized  in the

　　   West  by virtue  of its  frequent  use of rhyme  and

　　   pervasive  imagery.  By way of illustration, let  us

　　   examine the images in the seminal opening chapter of

　　   the Tao Te Ching.

　　　　  The tao  that  can be taoed  is not the enduring

　　　　  Tao;

　　　　  The name  that can be named  is not the enduring