Qu Yuan

Qu Yuan was a poet and statesman of the Warring States period, traditionally credited with pioneering the Chu ci style and remembered for poems of exile and political loyalty.

Chu ci: A classical Chinese poetic genre associated with the southern state of Chu and marked by expansive forms and regional imagery. Qu Yuan is traditionally regarded as the genre’s pioneering poet.
Li Sao: A long poem traditionally attributed to Qu Yuan, in which a speaker laments political rejection and seeks an ideal ruler. It is the best-known work linked to Qu Yuan and a landmark of Chu ci.
King Huai of Chu: A ruler of Chu in the third century BCE whose reign ended in captivity under Qin. Qu Yuan’s traditional biography places his political fortunes under Huai’s rule.
屈原 and the fisherman: A dialogue in the poem Yu Fu between an exiled official and a fisherman who advocates adapting to circumstances. The exchange sets Qu Yuan’s refusal to compromise against pragmatic withdrawal.
Warring States period: A period of conflict among Chinese states, conventionally dated from 475 to 221 BCE and ending with Qin unification. Qu Yuan served Chu during the political rivalries that shaped his career.
Jiu Ge: A cycle of ritual songs associated with Chu, featuring deities, offerings, and encounters between humans and spirits. Its ritual voices and imagery illustrate the religious world surrounding Qu Yuan’s poetry.
Shiji: Sima Qian’s monumental history of China, completed around the first century BCE. Its biography of Qu Yuan became a major source for his life story.
Jia Yi: A Western Han writer and statesman who composed a lament for Qu Yuan while himself serving in exile. His memorial poem turns Qu Yuan into a model for later displaced officials.
State of Chu: A major Zhou-era state in southern China, known for its distinctive culture and eventual conquest by Qin. Chu was Qu Yuan’s homeland and the setting for his political service.
Tian Wen: An ancient Chinese poem that poses a sequence of questions about the cosmos, mythology, and early history. Tradition attributes this striking catalogue of questions to Qu Yuan.

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