Qiuchi Notes

Su Shi (1037–1101), courtesy name Zizhan and literary name Dongpo Jushi, was a native of Meishan in Meizhou (present-day Meishan, Sichuan) and a writer, calligrapher, painter, and statesman of the Northern Song dynasty. He excelled in poetry, ci lyrics, prose, and fu, and was one of the Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song. His ci opened the bold and unconstrained school, and his calligraphy ranks first among the Four Masters of Song. The collection contains twenty-eight of his works, including Dongpo Yuefu jian, Dongpo zhilin, Su Shi ciji, Lun shu, Chao Cuo lun, and Dongpo ji, covering poetry, historical essays, miscellaneous notes, and writings on calligraphy and painting. His prose is sweeping and unrestrained, his poetry clear and vigorous, and his ci broke through the confines of delicate romance, using poetry as the basis for ci and broadening both its subjects and its scope, while his brief occasional pieces are casually sketched yet rich in feeling. His work has had a profound influence on later literature, calligraphy and painting, and literati life, and has long been regarded as classic, often placed in the categories of ancient poetry, Eastern philosophy, and literary appreciation.