Yongming poetry refers to a poetry style of the Chinese Southern Qi dynasty in the 5th century AD. Yongming (Chinese: 永明; pinyin: Yǒngmíng; Wade–Giles: Yung-ming; lit. 'Forever Bright') was an era name of the Emperor Wu of Southern Qi. The Yongming period was from 483 to 493.[1] However brief this era, it is now associated with a major movement within Classical Chinese poetry.
Despite the disturbances and instability which preceded and followed the Yongming era, there was also something special about it. In his Zizhi Tongjian, Song Dynasty historian Sima Guang characterized the Emperor Wu and his Yongming era, saying that:
during his era of Yongming, the people were rich and peaceful, and there was little crime. However, he also favored feasting and gaming, and while he expressed displeasure at luxuries and wastefulness, he could not avoid them himself.
This was also an era that came to be associated with significant poetic achievements.
The life and poetry of Su Xiaoxiao was a source of inspiration for later poets and artists including Tang dynasty poets Bai Juyi, Li He, Wen Tingyun, and the Ming dynasty writer and poet Zhang Dai.
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