Sun Chuo's biographical details are now lost; all that is known is that he was a poet of ancient times, and one work of his, the "Song of Biyu," is included in the collection. Because public records are limited, his native place, courtesy name, dates of birth and death, and official career cannot be established, and literary history contains no systematic account of his oeuvre. Judging from the surviving work, the "Song of Biyu" belongs to the yuefu strand of ancient poetry, voicing a woman's feelings in clear, simple language and a lilting rhythm, and using natural imagery to set off the speaker's mood; it reflects the fresh, gentle style typical of Southern Dynasties yuefu folk songs. The song circulated fairly widely and is often treated as a sample of the love theme in ancient yuefu. Sun Chuo is remembered through this piece, while his overall output and literary standing await further textual discoveries and scholarly study.
