Du Fu

杜甫 - Du Fu (712-770)

生平 - Life

I am referred as the "Saint of Poems." It is of no surprise, really, considering what I had been as a child and what I had done later in my life.

I was born in 712 as the grandson of Du Shenyan (杜審言), a know prose writer and poet of his day. It is quite likely that his reputation motivated me to study literary works - his works included - in my early years. As stated in my poem "The Wanderings of My Prime," I was composing poetry at the age of seven, writing calligraphy at age nine, and have poems in the literary arena by fourteen/fifteen. Like most of the great poems of my time - Li Bai especially - I started drinking wine at a relatively young age, being rather mature and associating with elders, who were far more wise then those of my own age.