Oubei's Remarks on Poetry

Zhao Yi judges the great poets from Li Bai and Du Fu to Lu You and Wu Weiye. Zhao Yi, a poet and historian, writes with independence, testing each poet's real achievement against his reputation, and his judgements remain lively. This is a complete new English translation, with names in modern pinyin and the text rendered as plain, readable English prose. It is a book to dip into: short entries, sharp judgements and many quoted lines, a conversation with the best readers of Chinese poetry. Traditional Chinese criticism was written by poets for poets, and it is full of anecdotes, quotations and memorable verdicts that bring the poems and poets to life. It is an ideal book for curious readers who want to explore Chinese literature and thought beyond the few famous titles, in a clear modern English version.