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 (Davis 14-16). 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.

At nineteen, I began a series of travels, although the poems that I wrote during that period were not preserved. Rather, my experiences were known through my works of reminiscence done much later, possibly resulting in them being in a lighter mood than they really were, after the harsh life I had endured. I returned to take the Civil Services Exam and was unsuccessful, much to my surprise. In disappointment, I set out to travel again, this time focusing more on riding and hunting than poetry (Davis 17-20).

参考 - References

Davis, A.R. Tu Fu. New York: Twayne Publishers, 1971. Print.

-not done- Du Fu. "The Wanderings of My Prime."