Du Fu Shi Zhu (Shang Xia)

Author: Qiu Zhaoao (Qing) annotated, Yu Leping supplemented
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2004-01-01
Features: Du Fu, styled Zimei, was born in 712 AD and died in 770 AD, a native of Gongxian, Henan Province. In his youth, he traveled extensively in the Jiangnan and Qizhao regions, witnessing the grandeur of the mountains and rivers. From the fifth year of Tianbao (746 AD), he resided in Chang'an for ten years, deeply experiencing the social reality of "the rich enjoying wine and meat while the poor freeze to death on the streets." After the first year of Zhidede (756 AD), for over a dozen years, Du Fu wandered from place to place. Due to the An Lushan Rebellion, the Tang Dynasty declined from prosperity, and the people suffered greatly. Like the common folk, Du Fu faced destitution and drifted to the southwest. He died in winter of the fifth year of Dali on a boat on the Xiang River. In the history of Chinese poetry, Du Fu is one of the greatest poets, whose poems integrate social reality with personal experiences, perfectly unifying ideological content with artistic form. In his collected works, he profoundly reflects his life's journey, using the art of poetry to describe history and record major social events. Many of his political poems either express political views, show concern for the suffering of the people, or use allegory and satire. Some poems that celebrate nature also blend scenery with human emotions, closely linking the depiction of natural landscapes with human affairs.