Liu You Biography

Author: Zhu Dongrun
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2002-08-01
Features: An irreproachable biography of a famous figure, a segment of unforgettable true history. Lu You's life was filled with a desire to save the nation and its people. Although he was not a orthodox Confucianist, he devoted his entire life to practicing the Confucian ideal of "governing the state and pacifying the world" without regret. He was a poet, a rare great poet, and his most significant achievements were in poetry. However, he was unwilling to be just a poet. He himself once said he did not want to be a poet, for his heart was beyond poetry. The poem he wrote before his death was titled "Instructions to My Son":
"Passing away, one knows nothing of the world,
But I mourn that I did not see the land united.
When the imperial army conquers the Central Plains,
At home, never forget to tell your father."