Du Fu occupies a unique place in classical poetry, one at the peak of a shi or lyric poetry that was, until the twentieth century, the most prestigious form of personal expression. This extraordinarily high esteem has its source in a cluster of factors which, though theoretically distinct, are thought of as scarcely separable in his case. They include the range and depth of the poetry; the place of its innovations in the history of lyric poetry; the extensive personal record of the An Lushan Rebellion (755-763) preserved in it; and the fact that the rebellion is seen as destroying at its height an empire that joined the flowering of culture with political might. Other poets arguably displayed one or more of these traits, …
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Citation: Chou, Eva Shan. "Du Fu". The Literary Encyclopedia. First published 09 March 2010 [https://staging.litencyc.com/php/speople.php?rec=true&UID=11908, accessed 23 November 2024.]
