The Book of Poetry and Diplomacy - What Does it Mean to Say, "I love you"?

This episode discusses how the language of love and kinship is used in diplomatic negotiations through the recitation of odes. For example, a Lu minister uses a wedding song to compare smaller states to a bride welcomed by her groom (the powerful Jin). A woman picking artemisia with care becomes the analogue for a powerful state cherishing a weak one. A Zheng minister uses an ode about seduction to forestall or resist aggression. A Jin leader affirms an alliance through an ode celebrating brotherhood.

Guest host: Wai-yee Li, Harvard University