Poet Sage: Su Shi

Author: You Xingbo
Publisher:
Publish Date: 2007-01-01
Features: There are countless shining stars in the Chinese literary world. During the Northern Song Dynasty, a great writer shone with outstanding literary achievements, and he is none other than the master of poetry and prose—Su Shi. Su Shi was born into a scholarly family in Meishan, Sichuan. A strong academic atmosphere, the meticulous nurturing of his parents, and his own bright intellect allowed him to display exceptional literary talent from a young age. By the age of ten, he could write outstanding essays, and by thirteen, he could revise the verses composed by his teacher. From a young age, Su Shi harbored great ambitions and, through relentless effort, achieved remarkable accomplishments in literary creation. His poems, ci (a form of Chinese poetry), and prose reflected his bold spirit, profound thoughts, and unique artistic style, representing the highest achievements of Northern Song literature. Together with his father Su Xun and his younger brother Su Zhe, he was renowned throughout the world and collectively known as the "Three Su," and they were all included in the "Eight Great Masters of the Tang and Song Dynasties." This is truly a miracle in literary history! Su Shi was also an outstanding statesman. Wherever he served as an official, he did many good deeds for the local people and was deeply beloved by them. He was persecuted and pushed aside for opposing the policies of Wang Anshi and Sima Guang. Even in his later years, he was exiled to remote and desolate places like Guangdong and Hainan. Yet, his unyielding and persistent spirit demonstrated his noble character and strong will to fight. The invaluable spiritual legacy left by Su Shi has benefited later generations for generations to come.