Du Fu

Who is Du Fu?

Du Fu (courtesy name Zimei) was a preeminent poet of the Tang dynasty, revered as the 'Poet-Sage' (Shisheng) and the 'Poet-Historian' for the way his verse chronicled the turmoil of his age. Born into a scholarly family, he repeatedly failed the imperial examinations and struggled with poverty and displacement for much of his life. His career and China itself were upended by the An Lushan Rebellion (755-763), which brought war, famine, and suffering that his poetry documented with unmatched compassion and realism. Around 1,500 of his poems survive. His work is admired for its moral seriousness, technical mastery of regulated verse, and deep empathy for ordinary people. Though not widely celebrated during his lifetime, he became one of the most influential poets in Chinese literary history. Together with Li Bai, he forms the twin peak of classical Chinese poetry.

Sources: William Hung, Tu Fu: China's Greatest Poet, 1952 · Stephen Owen, The Poetry of Du Fu, 2016