Luo Binwang

Luo Binwang (simplified Chinese: 骆宾王; traditional Chinese: 駱賓王; pinyin: Luò Bīnwáng; Wade–Giles: Lo Pinwang, ca. 640–684), courtesy name Guanguang (观光), was a Chinese poet of the Tang Dynasty. Born in modern Wuzhou, Zhejiang, he was raised in Shandong. Luo is grouped with Wang Bo, Yang Jiong (杨炯) and Lu Zhaolin (卢照邻) as one of the Four Greats of the Early Tang as the most outstanding poets of their time.

After a period serving Prince Tao, he worked in the central government in Chang'an from 665. In 670, he was exiled to Xinjiang, after which he travelled to Yunnan with the army. He returned to a series of posts around Chang'an in the late 670s. In 678, he was dismissed and imprisoned for criticising Wu Zetian, but was released the following year. In 684, he joined the rebellion against Wu's assumption of power, and wrote a propaganda dispatch justifying the uprising. He was killed in its suppression.

In prose, he was a master of the ornate bianwen style. His poetry (mostly gushi) is often similarly complex. Among his works is a long, autobiographical verse narrative, but he is best known for his poem "Ode to the Goose", said to have been written when he was seven years old. His "Ode to the Cicada" is also of great renown and influence.

References

• Ma, Maoyuan, "Luo Binwang". Encyclopedia of China (Chinese Literature Edition), 1st ed.

External links

• Ode to the Goose in Chinese and English
• A Political Prisoner Listening to a Cicada, in Chinese with Witter Bynner's translation.