The Poet Shen Yueh (441-513)

This book is a literary biography of Shen Yueh, a statesman, historian, poet, and devout lay defender of both Buddhism and Taoism. His active career spanned three successive dynasties (Liu-Sung, Nan-Ch'i, and Liang), whose capitals were located in the lower Yangtze city of Chien-k'ang (modern Nanking). The title "Reticient Marquis" (Yin-hou) was awarded him posthumously by the Liang Emperor Wu, who, though owing his own rise to power partly to Shen's bold counsel, had found him less than forthcoming from that point onward. Shen was indeed very reserved, and continually tortured by the conflicting claims of his ascetic Buddhist ideals and his love for luxury, his chameleon-like ability to preserve his influence through three regimes, and his high social and political status. Richard B. Mather provides the first full description in a Western language of Shen's life and thought and supplies numerous translations of his surviving letters, memorials, poems, and essays.


Because Shen was often in the center of controversy over matters of social, literary, and religious significance, his life may be read as an embodiment of some of the major issues and developments in the south during China's early middle ages. Professor Mather deals successively with all aspects of his life--his role as historian, courtier, poet, Taoist hermit, and Buddhist.