"Sage poet" Du Fu

The poems of "Li Du" are considered some of China's highest historical literature from the Tang period (618--907). "Li" represents the "fairy poet" Li Bai, while "Du" represents the "sage poet" Du Fu.

Du Fu was born in 712 AD and was the grandson of the famous poet Du Shenyan. Du Fu was very clever and diligent and by the age of seven had written his first poem. He eventually learned many skills including calligraphy, painting, playing musical instruments and equestrian riding. Du Fu was also very ambitious and, at the age of nineteen, began to travel extensively during the height of the Tang Dynasty. His experiences left us the famous line "When shall I reach the top and hold all mountains in a single glance?"

Like many writers, Du Fu hoped for a high-ranking career in government. He continuously wrote for dignitaries and took imperial examinations, but was constantly frustrated. When he was middle aged, Du Fu lived a poor and gloomy life in Chang'an. During this time he wrote that he he saw "the rich's meat and wine decay while the poor die of hunger and coldness at roadside." The frustration and poverty gave him a glimpse of the corruption of the court and distress of the commoners. He soon decided to do what he could for the nation and his people.

In 755AD, at the age of 43, Du Fu was finally given an official position, but just one month later, a long war broke out. During this period, Du Fu drifted from place to place, homeless and miserable. He now saw reality even more clearly than before and wrote a series of poems to speak against war and to convey his deep sympathy towards his people.

In 759AD, Du Fu quit politics altogether. Chang'an was devastated by drought and he was too poor to stay, so he took his family to Cheng Du in southeast of China. With the charity of his friends, he lived there for four years. The poem "My Thatched Cottage Was Broken by the West Wind" conveyed the miserable conditions he and his family endured. In it, Du Fu expressed his wish to sacrifice himself for the sake of his people's happiness. He wished all destitute people had warm houses. Because of his sincerity, Du Fu was considered very noble.

While in exile, Du Fu died in poverty in 770AD at the age of 59. He left behind 1,400 magnificent poems that portrayed the decline of his Tang society over a period of about 20 years. His poems combined narration, argument, and song writing. His work had a profound impact on Chinese poetry.

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