Chen Zi'ang
Chen Zi'ang | ||
---|---|---|
陳子昂 | ||
Hanyu Pinyin | Bóyù |
Chen Zi'ang (
Biography
A native of
Having arrived in the capital metropolis, Chen suddenly called attention to his poetry, by expensive and elaborate means: startling the spectators in the marketplace, he paid the asking price of a million cash for a Tartar musical instrument. Responding to the onlookers' consequent intense curiosity, he claimed to be an expert at playing that particular musical instrument, and invited everyone to see him do a performance the next day. Then, when the curious crowds showed up, he had prepared a lavish feast. However rather than performing any music, he got up, and introducing himself as a writer of essays and a poet, he proceeded to smash to bits the musical instrument for which he had paid so much, and handed out copies of his works, including his Thirty-Eight Lyrics.[4]
As an important advisor to the
Poetry and Works
This quote, from Chen to a friend, shows his attitude as a formative poet of the Early Period of
Chen Zi'ang is well known for his collection of thirty-eight poems "Ganyu" (感遇), written in a simpler vocabulary than typified the poetry of that time and which were heavily influenced by
Notes
References
- Wu, John C. H. (1972). The Four Seasons of Tang Poetry. Rutland, Vermont: Charles E. Tuttle. ISBN 978-0-8048-0197-3
- Zhu Xiaoyin, The Reason for Chen Zi'ang's Death (关于陈子昂的死因) 1983