active 12th century Yu Yan

Active in the 12th and early 13th centuries, Yan Yu was a Chinese poet and literary critic of the Southern Song period. He is chiefly known as the author of Canglang Shihua (Canglang Poetry Talks), a work of poetic criticism that remained important in later Chinese literary history.

In that book, he argued that great poetry depends on more than technical skill alone. His ideas drew attention to intuition, resonance, and the overall feel of a poem, which made his criticism especially influential for readers and writers interested in what gives poetry its life.

Not much biographical detail is easily confirmed about him compared with the lasting reputation of his writing. Even so, his name endures because Canglang Shihua became one of the classic statements on Chinese poetics.