Du Fu was a renowned poet during the Tang Dynasty in China. He wrote over 1500 poems, with themes of morality and history, and was also interested in civil service. His life was marked by the An Lushan Rebellion. His works have been translated and appreciated by Western and Asian readers alike, and he is regarded as one of the most important poets in Chinese literature. He was friends with another famous poet of the time, Li Po.
Du Fu, whose name is also sometimes spelled “Tu Fu”, was an important poet in China during the Tang Dynasty. The Tang Dynasty lasted from June 18, 618 to June 4, 907, and Du Fu lived from 712 to 770. He is generally regarded as one of the most important poets in the canon of Chinese literature.
While Du Fu is best known for his poetry, his pursuits were not purely literary. Indeed, one of Du Fu’s greatest hopes was to help China as a civil servant. However, this dream never came true. Indeed, he lived during a time of great turmoil in China. Du Fu’s life was marked by the An Lushan Rebellion, which lasted from 755 to 763. The An Lushan Rebellion is also known as the Tianbao Rebellion and the An Shi Rebellion.
Due to both the sheer volume and influence of his writing, Du Fu was as acclaimed by Western readers as the Eastern Virgil, Ovid, or Shakespeare. Since his death some fifteen hundred poems by him have survived and been handed down from generation to generation. Furthermore, not only have his poems been translated by Western readers, but they have also been appreciated by other Asian nations, especially Japan. Chinese critics have referred to Du Fu as both the “Saint of the Poem”, or Shīshèng, and “The Poetic Historian”, or Shīshǐ.
Two major themes in Du Fu’s poetry are morality and history. For this reason his works are not only of literary interest; philosophers and historians have found useful information and ideas in his works. Du Fu wrote poems about military tactics and happenings within the government. He also wrote poems to the emperor which included words of advice. One of his most famous works on moral commitment is also one of his earliest works. Entitled “The Song of the Wagons,” this poetic work is about a soldier grappling with the suffering he had to endure to fulfill his duties.
Du Fu’s poems also include information about his personal history. Without the information contained in his poems, we would know very little about the poet’s early life. It is known that Du Fu knew and was friends with another famous poet of the time, Li Po, whose name is also sometimes spelled “Li Bai”. Du Fu was much younger than Li Po when they met and not as successful. However, it is very interesting to note that two of the most famous poets in Chinese literature lived at the same time and actually knew each other.
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