(ca. 834-910) poet
Wei Zhuang was born in a town outside Chang’an, China, between 834 and 836. He spent much of his early life in Chang’an, the Tang dynasty capital, where he began to develop his literary ability by writing ci (tz’u), or lyric poems. Wei was one of the first poets to popularize the ci form and probably received much of his inspiration for his lyrics from the booming social life in the Chinese capital.
Wei left the capital in 877 to study under and work for a prefect in the Guozhou (Kuo-chou), Henan (Honan), Province. He returned to Chang’an in 879 to prepare for the jinshi (chin-shih) civil service examination, which he failed the following year. Scholars have pointed out, however, that Wei’s failure may have saved his life, because many government officials were singled out for execution when Chang’an was overrun by rebel bandits in 881.
During the fall of the capital, Wei escaped to the provinces, where he wrote his epic poem The Lament of the Lady of Ch’in, which brought him immediate fame. This poem describes the horrors of the sack of Chang’an, during which more than 80,000 people were executed. Wei also completed more than 1,000 poems and lyrics, though only about 375 remain.
Most of Wei Zhuang’s early poetic and prose writings were destroyed when Chang’an was invaded. What little is known of his early life has been pieced together by scholars through analysis of his later poems.
A Work about Wei Zhuang
Yates, Robin D. S. The Life and Selected Poetry of Wei Chuang (834?-910). Cambridge, Mass.: Council on East Asian Studies, 1988.
