View source for Su Shi

{{Short description|Chinese writer and politician (1037–1101)}}
{{hatnote group|{{Distinguish|Sushi}}
{{Redirect|Su Dongpo|other uses|Su Dongpo (disambiguation)}}}}
{{Use dmy dates|date=May 2022}}
{{Infobox person
| name               = Su Shi
| image              = Su shi.jpg
| caption            = Posthumous [[Yuan dynasty]] portrait of Su Shi by [[Zhao Mengfu]]
| birth_date         = 8 January 1037<ref>Su Shi wrote in his short essay ''Xian Qu Qiu Shi'' that his birthday was on the 19th day of the 12th month. Also, his biography in ''History of Song'' indicated that he was 66 (by East Asian reckoning) when he died in the 1st year of the ''Jian'zhong Jing'guo'' era of Emperor Huizong's reign (1101 in the Julian calendar) (《献曲求诗》: 元丰五年十二月十九日东坡生日, 置酒赤壁矶下, 踞高峰, 酒酣, 笛声起于江上.客有郭、尤二生, 颇知音, 谓坡曰: "笛声有新意, 非俗工也."使人问之, 则进士李委闻坡生日, 作南曲目《鹤南飞》以献.呼之使前, 则青巾紫裘腰笛而已.既奏新曲, 又快作数弄, 嘹然有穿云石之声, 坐客皆引满醉倒.委袖出嘉纸注一幅曰: "吾无求于公, 得一绝句足矣."坡笑而从之.)</ref>
| birth_place        = [[Meishan]], [[Sichuan]]
| death_date         = {{death date and age|1101|8|24|1037|1|8|df=y}}<ref>According to Su Zhe's epitaph for his elder brother, Su Shi died on the ''dinghai'' day of the 7th month of the 1st year of the ''Jian'zhong Jing'guo'' era of Emperor Huizong's reign. This corresponds to 24 Aug 1101 in the Julian calendar.</ref>
| death_place        = [[Changzhou]]
| occupation         = Poet, essayist, calligrapher, painter, and [[scholar-official]]
| parents            = [[Su Xun]] (father)
| relations          = [[Su Zhe]] (brother)
| notable_works      = {{ubl|[[Former Ode on the Red Cliffs|Former]] and Latter ''Odes on the Red Cliffs'' ({{lang|zh-Hant|[[:zh:赤壁賦|赤壁賦]]}})|''The Cold Food Observance'' ({{lang|zh-Hant|[[:zh:寒食帖|寒食帖]]}})}}
| module             = {{Infobox Chinese|child=yes
| title         = '''Su Shi'''
| pic           = Su Shi (Chinese characters).svg
| piccap        = "Su Shi" in traditional (top) and simplified (bottom) Chinese characters
| picupright    = 0.45
| t             = {{linktext|蘇|軾}}
| s             = {{linktext|苏|轼}}
| p             = Sū Shì
| w             = Su<sup>1</sup> Shih<sup>4</sup>
| mi            = {{IPAc-cmn|s|u|1|-|shi|4}}
| gr            = Su Shyh
| bpmf          = ㄙㄨ ㄕˋ
| suz           = Sou Seh
| j             = Sou<sup>1</sup> Sik<sup>1</sup>
| y             = Sōu Sīk
| ci            = {{IPAc-yue|s|ou|1|-|s|ik|1}}
| poj           = So͘ Sek
| tl            = Soo Sik
| mc            = Su Śik
| altname       = Zizhan
| c2            = {{linktext|子|瞻}}
| p2            = Zǐzhān
| w2            = Tzu<sup>3</sup>-chan<sup>1</sup>
| y2            = Jíjīm
| j2            = Zi2 Zim1
| altname3      = Dongpo Jushi
| t3            = {{linktext|東|坡|居士}}
| s3            = {{linktext|东|坡|居士}}
| l3            = {{nowrap|East Slope [[Householder (Buddhism)|Householder]]}}
| p3            = Dōngpō Jūshì
| w3            = Tung<sup>1</sup>-p'o<sup>1</sup> Chü<sup>1</sup>-shih<sup>4</sup>
| y3            = Dūngbō Gēuisih
| j3            = Dung1 Bo1 Geoi1 Si6
| altname4      = Su Dongpo
| t4            = {{linktext|蘇|東|坡}}
| s4            = {{linktext|苏|东|坡}}
| l4            = <!--N/A-->
| p4            = Sū Dōngpō
| w4            = Su<sup>1</sup> Tung<sup>1</sup>-p'o<sup>1</sup>
| y4            = Sōu Dūngbō
| j4            = Sou1 Dung1 Bo1
}}
}}
{{family name hatnote|[[Su (surname)|Su]]|lang=Chinese}}

'''Su Shi''' ({{lang-zh|t={{lang|zh|蘇軾}}|s=苏轼|p=Sū Shì}}; 8 January 1037 – 24 August 1101), [[courtesy name]] '''Zizhan''' ({{zhi|t={{lang|zh|子瞻}}}}), [[art name]] '''Dongpo''' ({{zhi|t={{lang|zh|東坡}}}}), was a Chinese poet, essayist, calligrapher, painter, [[scholar-official]], literatus, artist, pharmacologist, and gastronome who lived during the Song dynasty.<ref>{{cite encyclopedia |last=Whitfield |first=Roderick |year=2003 |others=Bibliography updated by Henning von Mirbach |title=Su Shi |encyclopedia=[[Grove Art Online]] |publisher=[[Oxford University Press]] |location=Oxford |doi=10.1093/gao/9781884446054.article.T082440 |isbn=978-1-884446-05-4 |url-access=subscription |url=https://www.oxfordartonline.com/groveart/view/10.1093/gao/9781884446054.001.0001/oao-9781884446054-e-7000082440 }} {{Grove Art subscription}}</ref> A major personality of the Song era, Su was an important figure in [[History of the Song Dynasty#Partisans and factions, reformers and conservatives|Song Dynasty politics]], he had a lengthy career in bureaucracy, taking various provincial posts and briefly serving as a senior official at the imperial court. Despite his high hopes to serve the country, Su's political career was filled with frustrations due to his out-spoken criticism, and he often fell victim to political rivalries between the radical and the conservative forces.<ref name=":2" /> He endured a series of political exiles during which his creative career flourished.<ref name=":1">{{Cite journal |last=Ridgway |first=Benjamin |date=2012 |title=From the Banquet to the Border: The Transformation of Su Shi's Song Lyrics into a Poetry of National Loss in the Restoration Era |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/43490145 |journal=Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews |volume=34 |pages=57–103 |jstor=43490145 |issn=0161-9705}}</ref>

Su is widely regarded as one of the most accomplished figures in classical Chinese literature,<ref name=":2">{{Cite book |last=Zhang |first=Longxi |url=https://www.taylorfrancis.com/books/mono/10.4324/9781003164173/history-chinese-literature-zhang-longxi |title=A History of Chinese Literature |date=2022-11-04 |publisher=Routledge |isbn=978-1-003-16417-3 |location=London |pages=217–218 |doi=10.4324/9781003164173}}</ref> leaving behind him a prolific collection of poems, lyrics, prose, and essays. His poetry had enduring popularity and influence in China and other areas in the near vicinity such as Japan, and is well known in some English-speaking countries through translations by [[Stephen Owen (sinologist)|Stephen Owen]], [[Burton Watson]]<ref name=Watson1994>{{cite book
|translator=[[Burton Watson]]
|date=1994 
|title=Selected Poems of Su Tung-p’o
|publisher=[[Copper Canyon Press]]
|location=[[Port Townsend]], [[Washington (state)|WA]], [[USA]]
|isbn=978-1-5565-9064-1
|url= https://www.coppercanyonpress.org/books/selected-poems-of-su-tung-po
}}</ref>, and [[Arthur Waley]], among others. In arts, Su was described by Murck as "the preeminent personality of the eleventh century."{{sfnp|Murck|2000|p=31}} His prose writings contributed to the understanding of topics including 11th-century China's [[travel literature]] and [[iron industry]].<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Wagner |first=Donald B. |date=2001 |title=The Administration of the Iron Industry in Eleventh-Century China |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/3632326 |journal=Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient |volume=44 |issue=2 |pages=175–197 |doi=10.1163/156852001753731033 |jstor=3632326 |issn=0022-4995|url-access=subscription }}</ref> His writing frequently touched upon the topic of cuisine, where he is considered to have had a profound influence.{{sfn|Wilkinson|2018|p=510}} [[Dongpo pork]], a prominent dish in [[Hangzhou cuisine]], is named in his honor.

Su remains a revered and beloved figure among both intellectuals and the general populace, transcending the boundaries of his era. Contemporary Chinese scholars Zhu Gang and Wang Shuizhao observed that Su's impact on Chinese people's values and beliefs is profound, stating that his cultural and philosophical influence rivals that of notable philosophers like [[Mencius]] and [[Zhuang Zhou|Zhuangzi]].<ref>Wang and Zhu, preface</ref>

==Early life and education==
Su Shi was born in [[Meishan]], near [[Mount Emei]] in [[Sichuan]] province. His given name ''Shi'' ({{lang|zh|軾}}) refers to the crossbar railing at the front of a chariot. His father Su Xun remarked that the railing, despite being an essential component in the carriage, appears low profile and unassuming. He hoped that the talented and outspoken Su Shi would learn self-restraint. Unfortunately, Su Shi did not fully heed his father’s counsel, and his conspicuous nature led him into a tumultuous career.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Shen |first=Huanbin |date=2008 |title=Su Xun's "Naming of the two sons" - a close study |url=https://wenku.baidu.com/view/65caa5d202d8ce2f0066f5335a8102d277a26145?fr=xueshu_top&_wkts_=1742322459140&needWelcomeRecommand=1&ILK=17423264-0295-5783-0053-782134341166&unResetStore=1 |journal=文学教育下半月 |volume=2008 |issue=6 |via=www.qikan.com.cn}}</ref>

Su Shi's early education was conducted under a [[Taoism|Daoist]] priest at a local village school. When he reached the age of 10, his education transitioned to homeschooling, initially guided by his mother, Lady Cheng, and subsequently by his father, Su Xun. Over the course of more than a decade, Su Xun dedicated himself to comprehensive studies of classical literature, philosophy, and historical texts, while providing coaching to his two adolescent sons as they prepared for the [[imperial examination]].<ref>Wang and Zhu, 56-59</ref>

Su Shi married at the age of 17. Su Shi and his younger brother Su Zhe maintained a close relationship since their childhood.<ref name="RedPine">Red Pine, Poems of the Masters, Copper Canyon Press, 2003.</ref> 

== Official career ==

=== Initial success and fame ===
In 1057, at the age of 19, Su Shi and his younger brother [[Su Zhe]] both passed the highest-level [[Imperial examinations|civil service examinations]] and attained the degree of [[Jinshi (imperial examination)|jinshi]], a prerequisite for high government office.<ref name="ebrey cambridge 140">Ebrey, ''Cambridge Illustrated History of China'', 140.</ref> His accomplishments at such a young age attracted the attention of [[Emperor Renzong of Song|Emperor Renzong]] and leading literary figure  [[Ouyang Xiu]], who became Su's patron thereafter. Ouyang had already been known as an admirer of Shu Shi's father [[Su Xun]], endorsing his literary style at the imperial court and stating that no other pleased him more. When the 1057 jinshi examinations were given, Ouyang Xiu unexpectedly required candidates to write in the [[Classical Prose Movement|ancient prose]] style when answering questions on the [[Chinese classic texts|Confucian classics]]. The Su brothers gained high honors for what were deemed impeccable answers and achieved celebrity status, particularly due to Su Shi's exceptional performance in the subsequent 1061 [[Imperial examination#Other examinations|decree examinations]].<ref name="hymes 61">Hymes, 61.</ref>

=== Provincial posts ===
Beginning in 1060 and throughout the following twenty years, Su Shi held a variety of government positions throughout China; most notably in [[Hangzhou]], where he was responsible for constructing a pedestrian causeway across the [[West Lake]] that still bears the name {{translit|zh|Sudi}} ({{lang|zh-Hant|蘇堤}}, 'Su causeway'). He had served as a magistrate in the [[Mi Prefecture]], which is located in modern-day Zhucheng County in [[Shandong]]. Later, when he was governor of [[Xuzhou]], he wrote a [[memorial to the throne]] in 1078 complaining about the troubling economic conditions and potential for armed rebellion in [[Economy of the Song Dynasty#Memorials to the throne|Liguo Industrial Prefecture]], where a large part of the Chinese [[iron industry]] was located.<ref name="wagner 178">Wagner, 178</ref><ref>Hegel, 13</ref>

=== Political exiles ===
{{Main|Crow Terrace Poetry Trial}}
Su Shi was often at odds with [[History of the Song Dynasty#Partisans and factions, reformers and conservatives|the political faction]] headed by [[Wang Anshi]]. Su Shi once wrote a poem criticizing Wang Anshi's reforms, especially the government [[monopoly]] imposed on the salt industry.<ref name="ebrey east asia 164">Ebrey, ''East Asia'', 164.</ref> The dominance of the reformist faction at court allowed the New Policy Group greater ability to have Su Shi exiled for political crimes. The claim was that Su Shi was criticizing the emperor, when in fact his poetry was aimed at criticizing Wang's reforms. Wang Anshi played no part in this action against Su, for he had retired from public life in 1076 and established a cordial relationship with Su Shi.<ref name="ebrey east asia 164"/> Su Shi's first remote trip of exile (1080–1086) was to [[Huangzhou]], Hubei. This post carried a nominal title, but no stipend, leaving Su in poverty. During this period, he began practicing [[Buddhism|Buddhist]] meditation. With help from a friend, Su built a small residence on a parcel of land in 1081.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Hegel |first=Robert E. |date=1998 |title=The Sights and Sounds of Red Cliffs: On Reading Su Shi |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/495262 |journal=Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews |volume=20 |pages=11–30 |doi=10.2307/495262 |jstor=495262 |issn=0161-9705|url-access=subscription }}</ref> Su Shi lived at a farm called Dongpo ('Eastern Slope'), from which he took his literary pseudonym.<ref>{{Cite journal |last=Cheang |first=Alice W. |date=1993 |title=Poetry, Politics, Philosophy: Su Shih as The Man of The Eastern Slope |url=https://www.jstor.org/stable/2719453 |journal=Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies |volume=53 |issue=2 |pages=325–387 |doi=10.2307/2719453 |jstor=2719453 |issn=0073-0548|url-access=subscription }}</ref> While banished to [[Hubei]] province, he grew fond of the area he lived in; many of the poems considered his best were written in this period.<ref name="ebrey cambridge 140"/> His most famous piece of calligraphy, ''Han Shi Tie'', was also written there. In 1086, Su Shi and all other banished statesmen were recalled to the capital due to the ascension of a new government.<ref name="Hegel 14">Hegel, 14</ref> However, Su was banished a second time (1094–1100) to [[Huizhou]] and [[Danzhou, Hainan]].<ref name="ebrey cambridge 140"/> In 1098 the [[Dongpo Academy]] in Hainan was built on the site of the residence that he lived in while in exile.

Although political bickering and opposition usually split ministers of court into rivaling groups, there were moments of non-partisanship and cooperation from both sides. For example, although the prominent scientist and statesman [[Shen Kuo]] (1031–1095) was one of Wang Anshi's most trusted associates and political allies, Shen nonetheless befriended Su Shi. <!--and even collaborated with him in compiling the [[pharmaceutical]] treatise of the ''Liang Fang'' ({{lang|zh|良方}}; ''Good Medicinal Formulas'').<ref name="needham volume 1 137">Needham, Volume 1, 137.</ref><ref name="sivin iii 47">Sivin, III, 47.</ref>--> Su Shi was aware that it was Shen Kuo who, as regional inspector of Zhejiang, presented Su Shi's poetry to the court sometime between 1073 and 1075 with concern that it expressed abusive and hateful sentiments against the Song court.<ref name="hartman 22">Hartman, 22.</ref> It was these poetry pieces that Li Ding and Shu Dan later utilized in order to instigate a law case against Su Shi, although until that point Su Shi did not think much of Shen Kuo's actions in bringing the poetry to light.<ref name="hartman 22"/>

=== The final years ===
In 1100, Su received a pardon and was posted to Chengdu, after a long period of political exile. However, he died in [[Changzhou, Jiangsu]] after his period of exile while en route to his new assignment in the year 1101.<ref name="ebrey cambridge 140" /> Su Shi was 64 years old.<ref name="Hegel 14" /> After his death he gained even greater popularity, as people sought to collect his calligraphy, depicted him in paintings, marked his visit to numerous places with stone inscriptions and built shrines in his honor.<ref name="ebrey cambridge 140" /> He was also depicted in artwork made posthumously, such as in Li Song's (1190–1225) painting of Su traveling in a boat, known as ''Su Dongpo at Red Cliff'', after Su Song's poem written about the [[Battle of Red Cliffs|3rd-century battle]].<ref name="ebrey cambridge 140" />

==Family==
{{more citations needed section|date=January 2022}}
[[File:Su Shi.jpg|thumb|left|A depiction of Su Shi from 1743]]

Su Shi had three wives. His first wife was [[Wang Fu (1039–1065)|Wang Fu]] (1039–1065) from [[Sichuan]], who was sixteen when they married. She died on the second day of the fifth month 13 years later,{{efn|14 June 1065 in the [[Gregorian calendar]]}} after bearing him a son, Su Mai ({{lang|zh|蘇邁}}). Heartbroken, Su Shi wrote a memorial ({{lang|zh|亡妻王氏墓志銘}}), stating that Wang had not just been a virtuous wife, but had also frequently advised him regarding the integrity of his acquaintances during his time as an official.

Ten years after the death of his first wife, Su Shi composed a ''[[Ci (poetry)|ci]]'' poem after dreaming of her while in Mi Prefecture. The poem, "To the tune ,"River Town"  ({{lang|zh|江城子}}), remains one of the most famous poems Su Shi wrote.<ref>{{Cite web |last=Su |first=Shi |title=Dreaming of My Deceased Wife on the Night of the 20th Day of the First Month |url=http://www.chinese-poems.com/s5.html |access-date=2023-12-16 |website=www.chinese-poems.com}}</ref> {{failed verification|reason=Both of these are just links to the poem itself|date=January 2022}}

In 1068, two years after Wang's death, Su Shi married her cousin Wang Runzhi ({{lang|zh|王閏之}}, 1048–1093), who was 11 years his junior. Wang Runzhi spent the next 25 years accompanying Su Shi through his ups and downs in officialdom and political exile. Su Shi praised Runzhi for being an understanding wife who treated his three sons equally (his eldest, Su Mai ({{zhi|s=苏迈|t=蘇邁}}), was born by Wang Fu). Once, Su Shi was angry with his young son for not understanding his unhappiness during his political exile. Wang Runzhi chided Su Shi for his silliness, prompting Su Shi to write the domestic poem "Young Son" ({{lang|zh|小兒}}).<ref>{{Cite thesis |title=Poetry of exile and return: a study of Su Shi (1037-1101) |url=https://digital.lib.washington.edu/researchworks/handle/1773/11117 |date=1989 |degree=Thesis |language=en-US |first=Kathleen M. |last=Tomlonovic}}</ref>

Wang Runzhi died in 1093, at forty-six, after bearing two sons, Su Dai ({{zhi|s=苏迨|t=蘇迨}}) and Su Guo ({{zhi|s=苏过|t=蘇過}}). Overwhelmed by grief, Su Shi expressed his wish to be buried with her in her memorial ({{lang|zh|祭亡妻同安郡君文}}).

Su's third wife, Wang Zhaoyun ({{lang|zh|王朝雲}}, 1062–1095) was a former [[Hangzhou|Qiantang]] [[Gējì|courtesan]].<ref>{{cite web | url=https://k.sina.cn/article_5787187353_158f17899020012zi5.html?from=news | title=【惠州文脉·西湖】苏东坡的"两个西湖"| date=24 July 2020}}</ref> Wang was about twelve when Su bought her at Hangzhou. Zhaoyun learned to read and write at Su's house. Of all the women in Su's life, Zhaoyun was probably the most famous, as she tried to "grow to her husband's spiritual level", and who seems to "understands him best". Su expressed his gratitude to Zhaoyun for her companionship to his exile in his old age, as well as her shared quest with the poet for immortal life via Buddhist and Taoist practice.<ref>{{Cite book |last=Lin |first=Yutang |title=The Gay Genius - the Life and Times of Su Tongpo |publisher=[[William Heinemann Ltd.]] |year=1948 |pages=192, 312–313}}</ref>

Su's friend, fellow poet [[Qin Guan]] wrote a poem, "A Gift for Dongpo's concubine Zhaoyun" ({{lang|zh|贈東坡妾朝雲}}), praising her beauty and lovely voice. Su Shi himself dedicated a number of his poems to Zhaoyun, including "To the Tune of 'Song of the South'"({{lang|zh|南歌子}}), "Verses for Zhaoyun" ({{lang|zh|朝雲詩}}), "To the Tune of 'The Beauty Who Asks One To Stay'" ({{lang|zh|殢人嬌·贈朝雲}}), and "To the Tune of 'The Moon at Western Stream'" ({{lang|zh|西江月}}). Zhaoyun remained a faithful companion to Su Shi after Runzhi's death, and died of illness on 13 August 1095 ({{lang|zh|紹聖三年七月五日}}) at [[Huizhou]].<ref>{{Cite book |last=Egan |first=Ronald C. |title=Word, Image, and Deed in the Life of Su Shi. |publisher=[[Harvard University Press]] |year=1994 |edition=1st |location=Cambridge (Massachusetts) and London |pages=328}}</ref> Zhaoyun bore Su Shi a son, Su Dun ({{lang|zh|蘇遁}}), on 15 November 1083, who died in infancy. After Zhaoyun's death, Su Shi never married again.

Being a government official in a family of officials, Su Shi was often separated from his loved ones depending on his posting. In 1078, he was serving as prefect of Suzhou. His beloved younger brother was able to join him for the [[mid-autumn festival]], which inspired the poem "Mid-Autumn Moon" reflecting on the preciousness of time with family. It was written to be sung to the tune of "Yang Pass."<ref name="RedPine"/>

{{blockquote|As evening clouds withdraw a clear cool air floods in
the jade wheel passes silently across the Silver River
this life this night has rarely been kind
where will we see this moon next year}}

Su Shi had three sons who survived to adulthood: the eldest, Su Mai ({{lang|zh|蘇邁}}), who would also become a government official by 1084;<ref name="hargett 75">Hargett, 75.</ref> the second, Su Dai ({{lang|zh|蘇迨}}); and the third, Su Guo ({{lang|zh|蘇過}}). When Su Shi died in 1101, his younger brother [[Su Zhe]] ({{lang|zh|蘇轍}}) buried him alongside his second wife Wang Runzhi according to his wishes.

==Work==
===Overview===
[[File:Su shi-calligraphy.jpg|thumb|[[Chinese calligraphy|Calligraphy]] by Su Shi: A detail of ''The Cold Food Observance'' ({{lang|zh-Hant|寒食帖}})]]
Approximately 2,700 poems and 800 letters penned by Su Shi have been preserved to date.<ref name="ebrey cambridge 140" /> His mastery spanned across various forms, including the ''[[shi (poetry)|shi]]'', ''[[ci (poetry)|ci]]'' and ''[[Fu (poetry)|fu]]'' styles of poetry, as well as prose, calligraphy, and painting. While a significant portion of his poetry is in the shi format, it is his 350 ci style poems that largely cemented his poetic legacy.

Su Shi's repertoire also includes a substantial body of essays, with many focusing on politics and governance. One of them being Liuhoulun (留侯論). He is recognized as one of the most esteemed essayists of the Tang and Song dynasties, earning him a place among the [[Eight Masters of the Tang and Song|Eight Great Prose Masters of the Tang and Song]]'''.'''

In both his literary creations and visual artistry, Su Shi seamlessly blended elements of spontaneity, objectivity with detailed and vivid depictions of the natural world.

=== Poetry ===
Su Shi is renowned as a pioneer of the ''háofàng'' (豪放) school in ''ci'' poetry, characterized by a spirit of boldness and a broader theme. Su Shi expanded the ''ci'' genre's thematic range, infusing it with a variety of non-traditional topics, many of which were drawn from his own life experiences. His lyrics delved into deeper, more contemplative subjects like aging, mortality, and the intricacies of public service, resonating more profoundly with contemporary audiences. As an innovator of the ''háofàng'' style, he introduced elements typically associated with masculine activities, including hunting motifs, and intertwined Buddhist philosophical concepts and political references, traditionally reserved for more esteemed forms of poetry.<ref name=":0" />

Some of his notable poetry works include the First and Second ''Chibifu'' ({{lang|zh-Hant|赤壁賦}} ''The Red Cliffs'', written during his first exile), ''Nian Nu Jiao: Chibi Huai Gu'' ({{lang|zh-Hant|念奴嬌·赤壁懷古}} ''Remembering Chibi, to the tune of Nian Nu Jiao'') and ''[[Shui diao ge tou]]'' ({{lang|zh-Hant|水調歌頭}} ''Remembering [[Su Zhe]] on the [[Mid-Autumn Festival]]'', {{lang|zh-Hant|中秋節}}). The two former fu-style poems were inspired by the [[Battle of Chibi]], a [[Naval history of China|naval battle]] of the [[Three Kingdoms]] era that occurred in the year 208.

In one of his ''[[shi (poetry)|shi]] style'' poems, Su famously described the difficulty of conveying [[Mount Lu]]'s beauty: "Why can't I tell the true shape of Mount Lu? Because I myself am in the mountain."<ref name=":0242">{{Cite book |last=Jin |first=Keyu |title=The New China Playbook: Beyond Socialism and Capitalism |date=2023 |publisher=Viking |isbn=978-1-9848-7828-1 |location=New York |pages=303 |author-link=Keyu Jin}}</ref>

Su wrote multiple poems at [[Huangzhou District|Huangzhou]] amid political banishment; in fact, the Huangzhou exile was a most prolific period for the poet.<ref>Egan, 213</ref>

One of the examples is a playful and biting poem on the first bath of his new-born son by his third wife Zhaoyun.

''On the Birth of a Son'' .{{zhi|c=洗兒戲作}}
{{Verse translation|lang1=zh|italicsoff=y|人皆養子望聰明, 
我被聰明誤一生; 
惟願孩子愚且魯, 
無災無難到公卿.|Families when a child is born 
Hope it will turn out intelligent,
I, through intelligence 
Having wrecked my whole life;
Only hope that the baby will prove 
Ignorant and stupid,
Then he'll be happy all his days 
And grow into a cabinet minister.}}

''"Immortal by the River" Returning at Night to Linggao"'' ({{lang|zh|臨江仙 · 夜歸臨皋}}) (written in 1082 CE):
{{Verse translation|lang1=zh|italicsoff=y|夜飲東坡醒復醉, 
歸來彷彿三更.
家童鼻息已雷鳴.
敲門都不應, 
倚杖聽江聲.
長恨此身非我有, 
何時忘卻營營.
夜闌風靜縠紋平.
小舟從此逝, 
江海寄餘生.|Drinking at night on the Eastern Slope, I sobered up and got drunk again,
When I arrived back home, it was about midnight.
The young servant was snoring like thunder,
not responding, no matter how hard I knocked.
Supported by a walking stick, I listened to the river.
I have long regretted that this body does not belong to me.
When can I stop pursuing fame and money?
The night comes to an end, the wind stops, and the waves in the ravine die down.
Let me drift away on a small boat from now on,
and entrust the rest of my life to rivers and seas.}}
Composed in 1082 CE, this song reflects the period when Su Shi faced demotion and relocation, now known as the Huangzhou district in Hubei Province. Despite enduring political adversity, Su Shi maintained an appreciation for the natural world. The lyrics convey his aspiration to abandon the chase for status, fame, and wealth, and instead embrace a life of seclusion.<ref name=":0">{{Cite web |title=Introduction to the Text, To the tune "Immortal by the River"—Returning at Night to Linggao. Global Medieval Sourcebook |url=https://sourcebook.stanford.edu/text/tune-%E2%80%9Cimmortal-river%E2%80%9D%E2%80%94returning-night-linggao |access-date=2023-10-03 |website=sourcebook.stanford.edu}}</ref>

''<nowiki>''</nowiki>Settling Wind Waves (Ding feng-bo) ({{lang|zh|定風波}})'''':<ref>{{Cite book |last=Owen |first=Stephen |title=An anthology of Chinese literature: beginnings to 1911 |date=1996 |publisher=W. W. Norton |isbn=978-0-393-97106-4 |location=New York London}}</ref>

{{Verse translation|lang1=zh|italicsoff=y|莫聽穿林打葉聲, 
何妨吟嘯且徐行.
竹杖芒鞋輕勝馬, 
誰怕?
一簑湮雨任平生.

料峭春風吹酒醒, 
微冷, 
山頭斜照卻相迎.
回首向來蕭瑟處, 
歸去, 
也無風雨也無晴.|Pay no heed to those sounds, piercing the woods, hitting leaves--
why should it stop me from whistling or chanting and walking slowly along?
With my bamboo cane and sandals of straw I move more free than on horse.
Who's afraid?
Let my life be spent with a raincoat in the misty rain.

A biting chill in the spring breeze blows me sober from wine,
A bit cold,
but the sunshine that sinks on the hilltop comes back to welcome me.
Turn your head to where you just were, where the winds were howling,
go back--
on the one hand, it's not a storm; on the other, not clear skies.|attr2=translated by [[Stephen Owen (sinologist)|Stephen Owen]]}}
His popular politically charged poetry was often the reason for the wrath of [[Wang Anshi|Wang Anshi's]] supporters towards him, culminating with the [[Crow Terrace Poetry Trial]] of 1079.

He also wrote poems on Buddhist topics, including a poem later extensively commented on by [[Eihei Dōgen]], founder of the Japanese [[Sōtō]] school of [[Zen]], in a chapter of his work [[Shōbōgenzō]] entitled ''[[Keisei sanshoku (Shōbōgenzō)|The Sounds of Valley Streams, the Forms of Mountains]]''.<ref name="bielefeldt">{{citation |last=Bielefeldt |first=Carl |title=Sound of the Stream, Form of the Mountain: Keisei Sanshoku |url=http://global.sotozen-net.or.jp/eng/dharma/pdf/31e.pdf |journal=Dharma Eye |number=31 |pages=21–29 |year=2013 |publisher=Sotoshu Shumucho}}</ref>

=== Travel record literature ===
[[File:Dongpo-memorial.JPG|thumb|The Su Dongpo Memorial of [[Huizhou]].]]
<!-- Deleted image removed: [[File:Tiny-olive-stone-boat-chen-tsu-chang.jpg|thumb|Su's boat trip to [[Chibi City|Red Cliff]] depicted in [[Boat Carved from an Olive Stone]]]] -->
Su Shi also wrote of his travel experiences in 'daytrip [[essay]]s',<ref name="hargett 74">Hargett, 74.</ref> which belonged in part to the popular Song era literary category of 'travel record literature' (youji wenxue) that employed the use of [[narrative]], [[diary]], and [[prose]] styles of writing.<ref name="hargett 67 73">Hargett, 67-73.</ref> Although other works in Chinese [[travel literature]] contained a wealth of [[cultural]], [[geographical]], [[topographical]], and technical information, the central purpose of the daytrip essay was to use a setting and event in order to convey a [[Chinese philosophy|philosophical]] or [[moral]] argument, which often employed [[persuasive writing]].<ref name="hargett 74"/> For example, Su Shi's daytrip essay known as ''Record of Stone Bell Mountain'' investigates and then judges whether or not ancient texts on 'stone bells' were factually accurate.<ref>Hargett, 74–76</ref>

===A memorial on the Chinese iron industry===
{{Main|Economy of the Song Dynasty}}
[[File:Yuan Dynasty - waterwheels and smelting.png|thumb|An illustration of a [[blast furnace]] smelting [[cast iron]], with [[bellows]] operated by a [[waterwheel]] and mechanical device, from the ''Nong Shu'', by [[Wang Zhen (official)|Wang Zhen]], 1313]]

While acting as Governor of [[Xuzhou]] in 1078, Su wrote a [[petition|memorial]] to the imperial court about issues faced in the Liguo Industrial Prefecture was under his administration. In an interesting and revealing passage about the Chinese [[iron industry]] during the latter half of the 11th century, Su Shi wrote about the enormous size of the workforce employed in the iron industry, competing provinces that had rival iron manufacturers seeking favor from the central government, as well as the danger of rising local strongmen who had the capability of raiding the industry and threatening the government with effectively armed rebellion. It also becomes clear in reading the text that prefectural government officials in Su's time often had to negotiate with the central government in order to meet the demands of local conditions.<ref>Wagner, 178–179</ref>

===Technical issues of hydraulic engineering===
{{Main|Technology of the Song Dynasty}}
During the ancient [[Han dynasty]] (202 BCE{{snd}}220 CE) of China, the [[sluice gate]] and [[canal lock]] of the [[flash lock]] had been known.<ref name="Needham Volume 4 Part 3 344 350">Needham, Volume 4, Part 3, 344-350.</ref> By the 10th century the latter design was improved upon in China with the invention of the [[canal]] [[pound lock]], allowing different adjusted levels of water along separated and gated segments of a canal.<ref name="needham volume 4 part 3 350 351">Needham, Volume 4, Part 3, 350-351.</ref> This innovation allowed for larger transport [[barge]]s to pass safely without danger of wrecking upon the embankments, and was an innovation praised by those such as [[Shen Kuo]] (1031–1095).<ref name="needham volume 4 part 3 351 352">Needham, Volume 4, Part 3, 351-352.</ref> Shen also wrote in his ''[[Dream Pool Essays]]'' of the year 1088 that, if properly used, sluice gates positioned along [[irrigation]] canals were most effective in depositing [[silt]] for [[fertilization]].<ref name="needham volume 4 part 3 230 231">Needham, Volume 4, Part 3, 230-231.</ref> Writing earlier in his ''Dongpo Zhilin'' of 1060, Su Shi came to a different conclusion, writing that the Chinese of a few centuries past had perfected this method and noted that it was ineffective in use by his own time.<ref name="needham volume 4 part 3 230">Needham Volume 4, Part 3, 230.</ref>

Although Su Shi made no note of it in his writing, the root of this problem was merely the needs of agriculture and transportation conflicting with one another.<ref name="needham volume 4 part 3 230"/>

===Gastronome===
[[File:Dongpo pork by superturtle.jpg|thumb|[[Dongpo pork]]]]

Su is called one of the four classical [[gastronome]]s. The other three are [[Ni Zan]] (1301–74), [[Xu Wei]] (1521–93), and [[Yuan Mei]] (1716–97).<ref>Endymion Wilkinson, ''Chinese History: A Manual'' (Cambridge, MA.: Harvard University Press, Rev. and enl., 2000): 634.</ref> There is a legend, for which there is no evidence, that by accident he invented [[Dongpo pork]], a famous dish in later centuries.  Lin Hsiang Ju and Lin Tsuifeng in their scholarly ''Chinese Gastronomy'' give a recipe, "The Fragrance of Pork: Tungpo Pork", and remark that the "square of fat is named after Su Dongpo, the poet, for unknown reasons. Perhaps it is just because he would have liked it."<ref>Hsiang-Ju Lin and Tsuifeng Lin, with a Foreword and Introduction by Lin Yutang, ''Chinese Gastronomy''. New York,: Hastings House, 1969  {{ISBN|0-8038-1131-4}}. Various reprints, p 55.</ref> A story runs that once Su Shi had decided to make stewed pork. Then an old friend visited him in the middle of the cooking and challenged him to a game of [[Chinese chess]]. Su Shi had totally forgotten the stew, which in the meantime had now become extremely thick-cooked, until its very fragrant smell reminded him of it.{{citation needed|date=January 2015}} <!-- This story is not in Lin Chinese Gastronomy  -->  Some legends point to the contrary, however, where other villagers simply named the pork dish after him to honour his death, although no concrete evidence points to any conclusion.

Su, to explain his vegetarian inclinations, said that he never had been comfortable with killing animals for his dinner table, but had a craving for certain foods, such as clams, so he could not desist. When he was imprisoned his views changed: "Since my imprisonment I have not killed a single thing... having experienced such worry and danger myself, when I felt just like a fowl waiting in the kitchen, I can no longer bear to cause any living creature to suffer immeasurable fright and pain simply to please my palate."<ref>Egan, ''Word, Image, and Deed'', p. 52-53.</ref>

==See also==
[[File:Su Shi-Vieil arbre et rocher étrange.jpg|thumb|''Wood and Rock''<ref>{{Cite web|url=https://www.christies.com/auctions/sushi|title = Christie's &#124; Wood and Rock by Su Shi &#124; Fine Chinese Classical Paintings &#124; Christie's}}</ref>]]
* [[Chinese literature]]
* [[Chinese poetry]]
* [[Classical Chinese poetry]]
* [[Cí (poetry)|Ci (poetry)]]
* [[Crow Terrace Poetry Trial]]
* [[Culture of the Song Dynasty]]
* [[History of the Song Dynasty]]
* [[Shen Kuo]]
* [[Song poetry]]
* [[Tao Yuanming]]
* [[Chinese fortune telling#An example of a regional ethnic proverb|Su Shi's destiny quote]]
* [[Technology of the Song Dynasty]]
* [[Wang Shen (Song dynasty)|Wang Shen]]

==Translations==
* [[Burton Watson|Watson, Burton]] (translator). ''Selected Poems of Su Tung-p'o''. (English only). [[Copper Canyon Press]], 1994.<ref name=Watson1994/>
* [[Xu Yuanchong]] (translator). ''Selected Poems of Su Shi.'' (Chinese with English translations). Hunan: Hunan People's Publishing House, 2007.

==References==
===Notes===
{{notelist}}

===Citations===
{{Reflist}}

===Bibliography===
{{Refbegin}}
* Ebrey, Walthall, Palais (2006). ''East Asia: A Cultural, Social, and Political History''. Boston: Houghton Mifflin Company. {{ISBN|0-618-13384-4}}.
* Ebrey, Patricia Buckley (1999). ''The Cambridge Illustrated History of China''. Cambridge: Cambridge University Press. {{ISBN|0-521-43519-6}} (hardback); {{ISBN|0-521-66991-X}} (paperback).
* Egan, Ronald. ''Word, Image, and Deed in the Life of Su Shi''. Cambridge (Mass.): Harvard University Press, Harvard-Yenching Institute Monograph Series, 1994. {{ISBN|0-674-95598-6}}.
* Fuller, Michael Anthony. ''The Road to East Slope: The Development of Su Shi's Poetic Voice''. Stanford University Press, 1990. {{ISBN|0-8047-1587-4}}.
* Hargett, James M. "Some Preliminary Remarks on the Travel Records of the Song Dynasty (960-1279)," Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (July 1985): 67–93.
* Hartman, Charles. "Poetry and Politics in 1079: The Crow Terrace Poetry Case of Su Shih," ''Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews'' (Volume 12, 1990): 15–44.
* Hatch, George. (1993) "Su Hsun's Pragmatic Statecraft" in ''Ordering the World : Approaches to State and Society in Sung Dynasty China'', ed. [[Robert P. Hymes]], 59–76. Berkeley: Berkeley University of California Press. {{ISBN|978-0-520-07691-4}}.
* [[Robert E. Hegel|Hegel, Robert E.]] "The Sights and Sounds of Red Cliffs: On Reading Su Shi," Chinese Literature: Essays, Articles, Reviews (Volume 20 1998): 11–30.
* [[Lin Yutang]].  ''The Gay Genius: The Life and Times of Su Tungpo''.  J. Day Co., 1947. {{ISBN|0-8371-4715-8}}.
* {{cite book |url=https://books.google.com/books?id=1eGqk66tvsQC&pg=PP1 |title=Poetry and Painting in Song China: The Subtle Art of Dissent |last=Murck |first=Alfreda |publisher=Harvard University Asia Center |year=2000 |isbn=978-0-674-00782-6}}
* [[Joseph Needham|Needham, Joseph]] (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 1, Introductory Orientations''. Taipei: Caves Books, Ltd.
* Needham, Joseph (1986). ''Science and Civilization in China: Volume 4, Physics and Physical Technology, Part 3, Civil Engineering and Nautics''. Taipei: Caves Books Ltd.
* [[Nathan Sivin|Sivin, Nathan]] (1995). "Shen Kua." In Sivin's ''Science in Ancient China: Researches and Reflections'', text III: 1-53. Haldershot (Hampshire, England), and Burlington (Vermont, USA): VARIORUM, Ashgate Publishing. {{ISBN|0-86078-492-4}}.
* Wagner, Donald B. "The Administration of the Iron Industry in Eleventh-Century China," Journal of the Economic and Social History of the Orient (Volume 44 2001): 175–197.
* {{cite book |last=Wilkinson |first=Endymion |author-link=Endymion Wilkinson |year=2018 |title=Chinese History: A New Manual |publisher=[[Harvard University Asia Center]] |location=Cambridge |edition=5th |isbn=978-0-9988883-0-9}}
* Yang, Vincent. ''Nature and Self: A Study of the Poetry of Su Dongpo, With Comparisons to the Poetry of William Wordsworth'' (American University Studies, Series III). Peter Lang Pub Inc, 1989. {{ISBN|0-8204-0939-1}}.
{{Refend}}

==Further reading==
* Jacques, Rob. ''Adagio for Su Tung-p'o: Poems on How Consciousness Uses Flesh to Float through Space/Time''.   (Fernwood Press, 2019) {{ISBN|978-1-59498-065-7}}. Using lines from Su Shi's poems as epigraphs, Jacques explores the 11th Century Chinese poet's metaphysical views on life, love and eternity from a 21st Century perspective.
* Wang, Yugen. "[http://muse.jhu.edu/login?auth=0&type=summary&url=/journals/journal_of_song_yuan_studies/v041/41.wang.html The Limits of Poetry as Means of Social Criticism: The 1079 Literary Inquisition against Su Shi Revisited]." ''[[Journal of Song-Yuan Studies]]''.  Volume 41, 2011. pp.&nbsp;29–65. 10.1353/sys.2011.0028. Available at [[Project MUSE]].
* {{Cite book |last2=Zhu |first2=Gang| last1=Wang |first1=Shuizhao |title=Sushi Ping Zhuan (苏轼评传) |publisher=Nanjing University Publishing House |year=2004 |isbn=7305041521 |edition=1st |location=Nanjing, China |language=Chinese |trans-title=A Critical Biography of Sushi}}

==External links==
* {{Commons category-inline|Su Shi}}
* {{wikisource author-inline}}
* {{Internet Archive author |sname=Su Shi}}
* {{Librivox author |id=442}}
* [http://chinaonlinemuseum.com/calligraphy-su-shi.php Su Shi and his Calligraphy Gallery] at China Online Museum
* [http://www.blackcatpoems.com/s/su_shi.html Su Shi: Poems]
* [http://www.chinese-poems.com/su.html Poems by Su Shi]

{{Su Shi}}
{{Eight Great Literati of Tang and Song}}
{{Song Dynasty topics}}
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{{DEFAULTSORT:Su, Shi}}
[[Category:Su Shi| ]]
[[Category:1037 births]]
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[[Category:11th-century Chinese calligraphers]]
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