Li Shangyin

Li Shangyin
Born	c. 813
Died	c. 858
Occupation	Poet

Li Shangyin (c. 813–858), courtesy name Yishan (義山), was a Chinese poet of the late Tang Dynasty, born in Henei (now Qinyang, Henan). Along with Li He, he was much admired and "rediscovered" in the 20th century by the young Chinese writers for the imagist quality of his poems. He is particularly famous for his tantalizing "no title" (無題) poems.

Biography

Li had a moderately successful career in the imperial civil service, although he never obtained a high position, either because of factional disputes, or because of his association with Liu Fen (劉蕡), a prominent opponent of the eunuchs.

Works

Li was a typical Late Tang poet: his works are sensuous, dense and allusive. The latter quality makes adequate translation extremely difficult. The political, biographical or philosophical implications supposed to be contained in some of his poems have been a subject of debate for many centuries in China.

His most famous and cryptic poem is called "Jin Se" (錦瑟) (the title is only taken from the first two characters of the poem, since the poem is one of Li's "no title" poems), which consists of 56 characters and a string of images. His "no title" poems are regarded as "pure poetry" by some modern critics.

Although more famous for his sensuous poems, Li indeed wrote in many styles, sometimes be satirical, humorous or sentimental. Moreover, some ancient critics hold that he is the only poet who, in some of his poems, succeeds in imitating the masculine quality of Du Fu's works.

Li Shangyin lived at a time when the Tang Dynasty, after some two hundred years of glorious reign, was fast declining. Culturally, politically and economically the Tang was one of the great periods of Chinese history. The cosmopolitan capital of Chang'an t^* was filled with traders from the Middle East and other parts of Asia where many Asian vassal states sent envoys to pay tribute. The empire covered a vast territory, the largest yet in the history of China. The nation, under the reign of Emperor Gaozuyi] through Taizong J>03\ , Empress Wu^\ J^2 to the time of Xuanzong 7k-ffc , steadily grew to the height of its prosperity. After the An Lushan Rebellion, however, the politi- cal and economic structure of the country began to disintegrate and the Dynasty went rapidly into decline. The rebel generals fighting against the Tang court during and after the An Lushan Rebellion were allowed to surrender and given military governor posts even after the leaders of the rebellion were vanquished. Peace and stability over the entire area of Hebei was heavily bought by a compromise settlement. These provincial governors paid only l i p service to the central government. The court, now weak and impotent, tolerated their growing independence, wary also of the aggression of the Tibetans to the north-west who posed a constant threat to the capital. During the subsequent years, military governors repeatedly challenged imperial author- ity with attempts to claim hereditary succession, resulting in revolts and bloods d. Apart from this loss of control over the provincial military leaders and other problems at the frontiers, the Tang court was internally plagued by the increasingly powerful eunuchs and the fierce Niu-Li factional strife. The eunuchs first gained political influence as a group when Gao Lishi YoQ ~)j helped Emperor Xuanzong ^ in his rise in power.3 Later, L i Fuguo also helped to put Su- zong pri Tj% on histhrone. By gaining royal patronage eunuchs gradually controlled personal access to the emperors and par- ticipated in the business of the central government. They also involved themselves with provincial appointments, at times, even intervening with armed forces in disputes over imperial succes- sions. By the time of L i Shangyin, the emperors had allowed the eunuchs to become fully entrenched both militarily and political- ly. After Xianzong, a l l Tang emperors (except Jingzong were put on the throne by the eunuchs. In 835, the infamous "Sweet Dew Incident" ~$"v^~ occurred during the reign of Emperor Wenzong 5s*.~ffi • A palace coup designed by Li Xun ^ (the prime-minister) and Zheng Zhu (the military governor of Feng Xiang )j^jL ) support of Wenzong's effort to overthrow the eunuchs failed. eunuchs, led by Qiu Shiliang slaughtered the clans of many high officials and chief ministers. A great many other innocent people were killed in connection with this event.4 The eunuchs whose power had been growing out of control now complete- ly dominated the Emperor and the affairs of state. Apart from the eunuchs, the Niu-Li factional strife was another destructive internal force haunting the Tang court. The Niu and Li factions were not organized political parties, but two groups of rival politicians, hostile toward each other as a result of some personal animosity.5 The head of the Niu faction was represented by Niu Sengru -^j" ^ and Li Zongmin ^ » and the Li faction by Li Deyu ^ ^J^^N^ In the 830s, the two contending factions created much turmoil in court through the reigns of Muzong"^|"'lT^, Jingzong, Wenzong, Wuzong ~^\^ -t^. and Xuanzong -ffc , a period coinciding almost exactly with Li Shangyin's life. According to Chen Yinke , the struggle was also due to a difference in social background between the two groups, one representing the traditional ruling class of North China, and the other, the newly risen class o scholar-officials who reached their positions through the civil service examinations.6 In any case, many intellectuals and high officials were involved in this struggle. Whenever members of one faction were i n power, people associated with the other faction would be demoted, or out of favor. The factional strife kept court officials from uniting against the increasing power of the eunuchs. The emperors, rendered completely helpless, tried to play one force against another. It was some fifty years after Li Shangyin's death that the eunuchs were finally eradicated with the help of the military governors, precipitating the downfall of Tang. Theforty-five yearsof LiShangyin's life coveredthe reign of sixemperors. Among them, Xianzong and Jingzong were murdered by the eunuchs.7 Muzong, Wuzong and Xuanzong ^? ^ \ indulged in escapist practices, dying, in the case of Wuzong, of an overdose of elixir drugs.

Influence

In 1968, Roger Waters of the rock band Pink Floyd borrowed lines from his poetry to create the lyrics for the song "Set the Controls for the Heart of the Sun" from the band's second album A Saucerful of Secrets.

Part of a poem by Li Shangyin is recited by a minor character in the Mortuary in the role-playing video game Planescape: Torment.

More recently, Li Shangyin's poem, "When Will I Be Home?" is alluded to and quoted from by Hig, the protagonist of Peter Heller's 2012 novel, The Dog Stars. The novel ends with a reprinting of the poem in full.

His name is mentioned and his poem is quoted in the Korean TV Series Gu-am Heo Jun, Episode 119.

References

• Chen, Bohai, "Li Shangyin". Encyclopedia of China (Chinese Literature Edition), 1st ed.

 Yu, Teresa Yee-Wah. 2011. “Li Shangyin : The Poetry of Allusion.” Retrospective Theses and Dissertations, 1919-2007. T, University of British Columbia. doi:http://dx.doi.org/10.14288/1.0100506.

External links

• Poems by Li Shang-yin
• Biography, Chinese texts and translations.
• Regulated verses of Li Shangyin, with English translation, pinyin transliteration, and tonal patterns.
• Works by or about Li Shangyin at Internet Archive
• Works by Li Shangyin at LibriVox (public domain audiobooks)