Bai Juyi

Bai Juyi was a leading poet of the Tang dynasty whose writing favored clarity and engaged directly with social concerns. Alongside his friend Yuan Zhen, he helped promote the new yuefu style, and he also held senior government posts, including provincial governorships. His best-known works include the long narrative poem “Song of Everlasting Sorrow,” which became one of the most celebrated poems in Chinese literary tradition.