The Poet Su ShiMany of the best known classical Chinese poems are from Song Dynasty poets, such as Su Shi, Ouyang Xiu, Lu You, and Li Qingzhao. At that time, the Ci form of poetry became quite popular. Ci poetry is written using different structures, called cipái, which control the poem's tones, rhythm, syllables per line and number of lines.Among the prominent Song Dynasty poets, Su Shi (1037-1101) was, without doubt, one of the most popular. He made strong contributions to the fields of poetry, literature, painting, calligraphy, and more.Su Shi came from a literary family: his father and brother were both great poets in their own rights. At the young age of 19, Su Shi passed the civil service examination, which was a gateway to a political career. Then he took on various governmental positions, including serving as the magistrate of Mizhou and the governor of Xuzhou. However, because of his opposition to radical reform measures, he was repeatedly demoted.Su Shi's first remote trip of exile was to Huangzhou, Hubei Province. During this period, he grew fond of the area he lived in, and he often wandered along the rivers and in the mountains. It was here that he wrote many of his best poems, such as Reflections on the Ancient Red Cliff-To the Tune of Nian Nu Jiao (《念奴娇·赤壁怀古》). In this poem, he expressed his admiration for some heroic figures, and described his aspirations and sorrows. The poem remains so popular that nearly every Chinese student can recite it:The Great River flows, eastward waves sweeping away, for thousands of years, gallant heroes...Su Shi's most famous piece of calligraphy, The Cold Food Festival (Han Shi Tie《寒食帖》), expressing his loneliness and disappointment, was also written in Huangzhou. Han Shi Tie is traditionally ranked third overall in the category of Chinese running script calligraphy.Despite his hard life, Su Shi's works show a spirit of confidence and optimism. His poems make people feel encouraged, reminding them that even during the hardest of times, there is always room for hope. A classic example is his poem Shui Diao Ge Tou:People have sorrow or joy, be near or far apart,The moon may be dim or bright, round or crescent shapedThis imperfection has been going on since the beginning of time. May we all be blessed with longevity Though thousand miles apart,We are still able to share the beauty of the moon together:Even today, Su Shi's poems still have a great influence on Chinese people. They can be heard in classrooms all over China, and seen quoted in the works of many Chinese scholars.
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