Authors

Chinese · 1037–1101

Su Shi (Su Dongpo)

Su Shi (蘇軾), known by his literary name Su Dongpo, was a Song dynasty polymath — poet, essayist, calligrapher, painter, and government official — who is widely considered the most complete man of letters in Chinese history. His ci (song lyrics), shi poetry, and prose essays rank him alongside Li Bai and Du Fu as one of the supreme classical Chinese poets. Repeatedly exiled for political reasons, he wrote his finest work during periods of banishment. His 'Shuidiao Getou' (水調歌頭), written on the Mid-Autumn Festival thinking of his brother, is among the most beloved poems in the Chinese tradition.