Personalized Colorful Life (Interesting Facts About Tang Dynasty Poets)

Author: Peng Xing
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-12-01
Features: This book is one of the "Tang Poetry Exploration Series" edited by Mr. Zhang Zhonggang. It combines the rigorous and scholarly approach of classical literature experts with the fluent and elegant style of popular reading. It organically integrates the classical charm of Tang poetry with modern perspectives, as well as profound rationality and approachable sensibility. Through more than 100 interesting anecdotes from the Old and New Tang Shu and other historical records, biographies, notes, and legends related to the Tang Dynasty, it vividly recreates the diverse and personalized lives of Tang poets, offering both entertainment and enlightenment. From the book, we are astonished to discover that in the Tang Dynasty, there were rare "poetry fans" who revered their idols, often worshipping them with devotion. For example, one person admired Li Bai so much that they changed their name to Zhang Bi and styled themselves Tai Bi; another admired Bai Juyi and renamed themselves Huang Jumin, styled Yue Di; and one person, who revered Jia Dao, would kneel before Jia's bronze statue morning and evening. Even the less reputable members of society had poetry tattooed on their bodies, truly earning the title of "die-hard poetry enthusiasts." Peng Xing's thoughts are profound, yet his writing is effortless and sometimes even playful. Titles like "Gu Kuang's 'Harsh Critique'," "Disputing with Poetry," "Not Liking a Minister but Writing Poetry," "A Prostitute Continues a Poem to Save the Day," and "Chen Zi'ang's 'Self-Promotion Technique'" serve as the faces of the articles. From these faces, one can see how lively, fresh, and clear the "big face" of the book truly is.