author
Yi Jia
-200–-168
An early Han dynasty writer and statesman, this influential figure is remembered for sharp political essays and richly expressive poetry. His work helped shape the development of the Chinese fu rhapsody and left a lasting mark on classical Chinese literature.
1 Audiobook
賈誼新書
by Yi Jia
About the author
Born around 200 BCE, Jia Yi was a Chinese essayist, poet, and politician of the Western Han dynasty. He is best known for his political writing, especially the essay often translated as Disquisition on Finding Fault with Qin, and for being one of the earliest known writers of fu rhapsody.
Although he served in government, his career was troubled by exile and court politics. Later readers have remembered him not only as a talented official but also as a major literary voice whose writing bridged earlier Chu-style poetry and the flowering of Han literature.
Dates for his life sometimes vary by source, but the account most easily confirmed here describes him as living circa 200 to 169 BCE.