Luo Binwang

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Luo Binwang (駱賓王 or 骆宾王) (around 640 - 684) of the Tang Dynasty, was a Chinese poet born at Yiwu, Wuzhou, Zhejiang, but raised in Shandong. He is grouped with Wang Bo, Yang Jiong and Lu Zhaolin 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.