皎然

Jiaoran was a Tang-dynasty monk-poet and poetry theorist; public sources offer limited information about his dates and native place. Four works are extant in the library, covering both poetic creation and poetics, and are commonly classified under literary appreciation, Eastern philosophy, and classical poetry. His representative works include Poetic Styles (Shi Shi) and a Tang-dynasty version of the same title, as well as yuefu titles such as “Song of Bitter Heat” and “Song of Wind in the Pines.” His poetic treatise Shi Shi systematically discusses poetic form, tone, and technique, valuing artistic conception and naturalness, and has had a lasting influence on later poetics. The yuefu pieces show his engagement with musical and lyrical subjects. Overall, Jiaoran combined the identities of monk and poet, balancing Buddhist thought with poetic craft and providing important material for the study of Tang poetic ideas.