SOURCE: "Poetry and the Legend of Confucius's Exile," in Journal of the American Oriental Society, Vol. 106, No. 1, January-March, 1986, pp. 13-22.

In the essay below, Riegel analyzes three poems about Confucius's time of exile.

Among the many stories and tales which constitute the legends of Confucius's life, the most well-known and dramatic involve the Master's suffering and hardships during his exile from Lu.… According to the account set forth in the Tso chuan … and Shih chi …, Confucius departed, or perhaps was banished, from his homeland in 497 B.C., after a failed attempt, supported by him, to dismantle the defensive walls around the cities controlled by the powerful Chi … , Meng … , and Shu … families.¹ Along with a small group of followers, he wandered for thirteen years, travelling through Wei … , Ch'en … , Ts'ai … and other states which lay to the west and southwest of Lu.²

Tales of his trials, usually introduced with such...