Top 3 Famous Chinese Poets

Literature has always been an important part of society. In addition to revealing the cultural values of a society, literature also serves as a means of entertainment. As such, poetry is a major agent of literature. Similar to other countries, China too has had its share of brilliant poets who have written magnificent works of poetry. Three famous Chinese poets are Du Fu (杜甫, Dùfǔ), Li Bai (李白, Lǐbái), and Su Shi (苏轼, Sūshì). 

1. Du Fu (杜甫, Dùfǔ) 

Du Fu was born as a minor scholar-official at Henan Province in 712 A.D. during the era of the Tang dynasty. He had quite a difficult life during his early years, for his mother died when he was young and he failed the civil service exams twice. Therefore, he was raised by his aunt. However, Du Fu had a love for reading. After failing the civil service exams, Du Fu traveled for many years. During his travels, Du Fu wrote poems about his travel experiences, hardships and Li Bai. Li Bai had a prominent influence on Du Fu, for he helped stimulate Du Fu’s creative thinking capabilities and artistic spirit. Soon after Du Fu requested the government for a position, he was given the position of registrar in the crown prince’s palace. However, the An Lushan Rebellion didn’t allow him to claim the position, and it wreaked havoc on Chinese society. During these trying times, Du Fu wrote poems about sadness and poverty based on the rebellion and what he saw of it. Although Du Fu was able to claim the governmental position he had been given after the rebellion had ended, he eventually got kicked out because he was thought to have caused too much trouble due to his overly conscientious behavior. Consequently, he moved to a cottage in Sichuan and wrote poems there, continuing to travel and write poems till his death. Du Fu’s poetic style was called Lu Shi (律詩, Lǜshī). Shi (詩, shī) is a form of poetry which has couplets, and two of the lines of the couplet would rhyme, along with there being no tonal rhythms because unlike modern Mandarin, ancient languages had more than 5 tones. 

2. Li Bai (李白, Lǐbái)

Li Bai was born in 701 A.D. in central Asia during the era of the Tang dynasty, and he spent his early life growing up in Sichuan Province. His initial poetic endeavors occurred in 725 A.D. when he left home and wrote poetry whilst walking around the Yangtze River. Soon after in 1742, Emperor Xuanzong gave him a position in the Hanlin Academy. However, Li Bai was expelled, which in turn led him to serve the Prince of Yun. But, Li Bai was then arrested for treason because the Prince of Yun led a counter revolt against the An Lushan Rebellion. Once Li Bai finished his prison sentence, he went back to the Yangtze River and wrote poetry. Li Bai utilized a free form of poetry called Gu Shi (古詩). He wrote many poems about romance, for he had been married four times. Similar to Du Fu, Li Bai also traveled much and wrote about his experiences and what he saw. Thus, his poems were passionate and carefree, which in turn led to strong imagery which represented urban diversions or pastoral scenes which were associated with the countryside. 

3. Su Shi (苏轼, Sūshì)

Su Shi was born on January 8th, 1037 at Sichuan Province during the era of the Song dynasty. Unlike Du Fu, Su Shi did very well on the civil service exams and acquired a position as an official in the court. However, Wang Anshi, the prime minister, exiled Su Shi to Hangzhou in Hubei Province in 1079 because Su Shi had opposed some of Wang’s policies. Soon after, Su Shi was also exiled to Hainan Island in 1094. Su Shi utilized many forms of poetry such as Shi, Ci, and fu in his works. He eventually became the founder of the Haofang school of writing. Despite him being exiled twice, Su Shi was quite optimistic in his poetic works which described his life’s experiences. 
All in all, Du Fu (杜甫, Dùfǔ), Li Bai (李白, Lǐbái) and Su Shi (苏轼, Sūshì) are three of the most famous Chinese poets. Each of these poets had unique styles of writing which they utilized to create their masterpieces and illustrate the rich culture of Chinese history. Despite their stylistic differences, all of these poets are highly appreciated in modern society, and their works are also enjoyed regularly on a casual level as well.

Sources:

https://theculturetrip.com/asia/china/articles/why-li-bai-and-du-fu-are-still-china-s-most-popular-poets/
https://www.chinahighlights.com/travelguide/culture/chinese-poetry.htm
https://www.ranker.com/list/famous-poets-from-china/reference
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/li-po
https://www.poetryfoundation.org/poets/tu-fu
https://www.britannica.com/biography/Su-Shi
https://simple.wikipedia.org/wiki/Du_Fu
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Li_Bai
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Su_Shi