Bi Huiyi: A Critical Biography

Author: Qian Changqing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-05-01
Features: In the Tang Dynasty, Bai Juyi was the greatest poet after Li Bai and Du Fu. The literary heritage he left is unparalleled among Tang poets; his thoughts blend Confucianism, Buddhism, and Taoism, and his writings contain abundant materials for the history of thought. Based on the principle of combining criticism and biography, this book discusses several issues related to Bai Juyi's unique family background in Chapter 1. Chapters 2 to 5 almost chronologically outline the winding and long life of the Bai family. The text frequently quotes poems from different periods of his life to reveal the richness of the poet's inner world and thereby trace the trajectory of his ideological transformation. Chapters 6 and 7 respectively critique his early radical populism and his later moderate conservatism, which are the key points of the book. Chapters 8 and 9 respectively evaluate his literary theories with a realistic spirit and his creative achievements. Chapter 10 summarizes Bai Juyi's status and influence in the history of literature.