Juyi Bai

Born in 772, Bai Juyi was a major poet and government official of the Tang dynasty. He is often remembered for writing in a style that aimed to be understood beyond elite literary circles, which helped make his poems widely loved in his own time and long after.

His poetry moves easily between public and private worlds. Some poems speak plainly about corruption, war, and hardship; others linger on parting, memory, landscapes, and the passing of time. Among his best-known works are Song of Everlasting Sorrow and Pipa Xing (The Song of the Pipa Player), both admired for their vivid storytelling and emotional clarity.

Bai Juyi died in 846, but his voice has remained remarkably close to readers. Even centuries later, his poems can feel conversational, humane, and alive, which is one reason he remains one of the most approachable great poets of classical China.