8.Du Fu

When we discuss Tang-Dynasty poetry, we often list the names of both Li Bai (李白)and Du Fu (杜甫), whose achievements in the art of poetry earned them the highest reputation.However, they had wide differences in terms of personal temperament and poetic style.

Du Fu(712-770)is seen as the greatest realist poet of ancient China.His poems mostly came into being during and after the rebellion led by An Lushan, a turning point in the Tang Dynasty from prosperity to decline.The social turmoil awoke intellectuals from people's sweet dreams of prosperity.Du Fu fell victim to this social upheaval.He suffered the bitterness of homelessness and drifted from one place to another, fully experiencing the hardships of survival in a time of upheaval.His son died of hunger.His lines“Stinking the meat and wine inside a vermilion gate; Beside the road are the frozen dead (朱门酒肉臭，路有冻死骨)”derived from his own experiences.Still he did not indulge in his own bitterness but thought more of the people and his country.His poems were true reflections of his concern for his country and the people, his loyalty and passion.

Unlike Li Bai's free and natural style, Du Fu was particularly concerned with details and careful wording.He would never rest till he found the most suitable phrases to express his deepest feelings, and fill them with great momentum through strict rhyme schemes and neat parallelisms.Therefore, Du Fu's poems appear more sophisticated and compact.

Another contribution Du Fu made to the development of Chinese poetry is that he studied and absorbed the traditional techniques of different poetic styles from The Book of Songs and Sao-style poems onwards.Combining the strong points of all styles, he summarized ancient poetry, facilitating its study by later generations.He provided the impetus for the future potential of Chinese poetry, providing an inexhaustible storehouse for poets and future poetic schools alike.

New Words

Exercise One

Directions:Decide whether the following statements are true or false.

1.Li Bai and Du Fu are the same in terms of poetic style.

2.Du Fu is considered as the greatest realist poet of ancient China.

3.Du Fu's poems mostly came into being after the rebellion led by An Lushan.

4.Du Fu suffered the bitterness of homelessness.

5.Li Bai's poems appeared more sophisticated and compact than Du Fu's poems.

Exercise Two

Directions:Answer the following questions.

1.Write the name of two poets in the Tang dynasty.

2.What were the differences in style between Li Bai's and Du Fu's poems?

3.What contributions has Du Fu made to the development of Chinese poetry?