张乔

Zhang Qiao was a poet of the Tang dynasty. His birth and death dates, native place, and courtesy name are not clearly recorded, and public information about him is limited. Judging from his extant works and common classifications, he wrote mainly classical poetry, with an interest in Eastern philosophical themes. Six of his works are included here, among them "Autumn Thoughts at Yanfu Lane," "Letters from the Frontier," "A Clear View from the Jiuhua Tower," "A Spring Outing by the Qujiang River," and "Reading in the Northern Mountains." These titles center on autumn reflection, frontier scenes, climbing and gazing afar, spring outings, and life in the mountains, showing a poet who often begins with ordinary journeys and natural scenery and gives expression to personal feeling. His language is concise and his imagery clear and spare; he weaves reflection and philosophical thought into descriptions of scenery, and his overall style is restrained and quiet. Owing to scarce historical sources, details of his life and his place in literary history are difficult to establish, yet his surviving poems remain a useful sample for observing the character of Tang poetry.