What does "Wagging My Tail in the Mud" reveal about Chuang-tzu's character? How does the tale reflect Taoist beliefs about the need to be true to oneself?

One of the maxims in the Analects states, "A gentleman is distressed by his own lack of capacity; he is never distressed at the failure of others to recognize his merits." Paraphrase this maxim in your own words. Do you agree or disagree with it? Why?

What imagery and details of setting does Tsurayuki use in each of his tankas to evoke a season? What emotions do his images and word choices convey?

What might the "Cold Mountain" setting in Han-shan's poem "I climb the road..." symbolize, or stand for? How does the speaker feel about his remoteness from the busy world below?

Which of the Master's sayings is most like the Bible's golden rule: "Do unto others as you would have them do unto you"? What is the main difference between Confucius's saying and the golden rule?

What disturbs the natural world and the poet's solitude in "Night in the House by the River"?

In passage $29$, what does Laotzu mean when he says the world cannot be improved? How does the rest of the passage support this idea?

In passage $2$ from the Tao Te Ching, what is the Master's approach to acting and teaching? What happens when she forgets her work?

What mood does each of Saigyo's tanka convey? What images convey each mood?

What did you find wise or helpful in the Taoist texts? Which of these Taoist passages would you add to your list of sources of wisdom? What similarities do these Taoist passages share with the sources of wisdom you discussed in your Quickwrite notes?

How does Chuang-tzu defy society's expectations in "Wagging My Tail in the Mud"?

What is the metaphor, or comparison of unlike things, at the heart of Lady Ise's tanka? Although her emotions are not stated directly, what do you think she feels about the scene she is describing?

Is "Peonies" simply a celebration of something very beautiful (a flower or woman), or does it express deeper concerns? Before you answer, consider the meaning implied in lines $6$ and $17$.

Make a generalization about the themes, or comments on life, of tanka based on the eight poems you have just read. What is your conclusion? For instance, what do the poems say about the relationship between people and nature?