Idyllist Tao Yuanming

Tao Yunaming, also known as Tao Qian, lived in the 4th century during the East Jin period. His natural style helped define the ideal Chinese poem and though he lived a poor and simple life, he enjoyed it very much. His spirited, modest character was greatly admired by his contemporaries.

Tao Yunaming's great-grandfather, Tao Kan, held an official position and also made great contributions to the culture of East Jin. Tao Yunaming's father was an official as well, but died when his son was only eight years old. Soon afterward the family went through hard times. As a teenager, Tao Yuanming hoped to achieve success as an official, but there was much turbulence, corruption and conflict in East Jin at this time. Tao Yuanming retreated soon after getting his first official position at the age of 29. He would occasionally return to public life, but would always withdraw afterward.

Tao Yunaming became poorer as time went on. Eventually, he could not even feed his family. So, at the age of 41, he was forced return to work as an official. He condemned materialism and rank and 80 days later, resigned again and became a recluse.

At the age of 44, Tao Yuanmng's house was destroyed by fire. Out of this experience, he wrote "No food for summer; no quilt for winter". Though he was poor, he was happy and content. He began to compose many other poems that idealized country life and the themes became an important part of poetry and an escape from reality.

In his golden years, Tao Yuanming was so poor that he had to beg and borrow to feed himself, despite offers to return to the court. He finished his famous "Prose of Peach-Blossom-Source and Preface" in his late years. In it, he created a utopian society and told the story of a fisherman who accidentally ended up in Xanadu. The fisherman found that the villagers there were the offspring of some hermits who settled in Xanadu to escape war. The fisherman learned that the villagers had never left their land and knew nothing about the outside world. The tale about naive but peaceful villagers was very popular among readers who had to live in turbulent times.

Although he only wrote a few dozen works, TaoYuanming has great status in Chinese literary history. While many writers of the period tried to use flowery language in poems, Tau Yuanming began the tradition of the idyll. These poems followed a traditional Chinese simplicity, but also had much exuberance. The language was plain, fresh and smooth. The poems were the highest achievement of simplicity.

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