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Du Fu Research Paper

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Du Fu: Making the Best of Bad Times
Du Fu was one of the greatest poets of China. Living during the Tang Dynasty, a golden age for literacy, poetry, and the civil service examination, Du Fu flourished as a poet. Although he was a civil servant for a great part of his life, it was not until the An Lushan Rebellion, which began in 755, that Du Fu’s career as a poet really began. Because the aesthetic behind his poetry was history and morality, Du Fu used the war and all bad that was around him to become a great poet and influence many people. Du Fu became one of China’s greatest poets because his poetry gave insight of history and life during the Tang Dynasty as well as calligraphy, domestic life, and military tactics. Much of what is known …show more content…

When his youngest child died, Du Fu wrote in a poem, “Brooding on what I have lived through, if even I know suffering, the common man must surely be rattled by the winds” to emphasize that although he was hurting greatly, there were strangers that were hurting more than him. Yes, he was living through hard times, but there were other citizens who were living through harder times. It was Du Fu’s compassion of others that made him a great poet, for within his poetry, history of the lives of others were written down.

春望 “The View in Spring”
国破山河在 A kingdom smashed, its hills and rivers still here,
城春草木深 Spring in the city, plants, and trees grow deep
感时花溅泪 Moved by the moment, fowers splash with tears,
恨别鸟惊心 Alarmed at parting, birds startle the heart.
烽火连三月 War’s beacon fires have gone on three months,
家书抵万金 Letters from home are worth thousands in gold.
白头搔更短 Fingers run through white hair until it thins,
浑欲不胜簪 Cap-pins will almost no longer …show more content…

Du Fu writes about the snowstorm as a comparison to the war, showing its great magnitude and effect on the Tang Dynasty. This specific poem presents the distressing situation of a dynasty by highlighting the agony experienced by a certain citizen, who is not only an official but a writer and victim of the war. Du Fu gave contributed to Chinese literature in his times, but also in the times to come. Du Fu had an extensive a certain pattern in his verses; his poems were inspired by journeys and experiences. He also wrote many of his poems to people around him, such as friends and relatives. When a relative or a friend accomplished something that deserved recognition, Du Fu would write them a poem as a way of congratulating them. Although much of his poetry was not recognized greatly until after his death, Du Fu still was a major figure during the Tang

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