江南逢李龟年

1. Historical Background: The poem was composed in the late 760s, after the An Lushan Rebellion had shattered the Tang Dynasty’s prosperity, plunging it into political chaos and economic decline. The once-unified empire was fractured, with widespread destruction displacing millions. 2. Cultural Background: Li Guinian was the most celebrated court musician of Emperor Xuanzong’s reign, a symbol of the Tang’s golden age of art and culture, where poetry, music, and dance thrived in imperial and noble circles. 3. Social Background: Post-rebellion society was marked by extreme inequality, famine, and displacement. Former elites like Du Fu and Li Guinian were reduced to struggling refugees, mirroring the plight of ordinary people caught in the upheaval. 4. Personal Experience: When writing this poem, Du Fu was a destitute exile in the south, suffering from illness and poverty. Li Guinian, once favored by the imperial family, had also fled south to perform for local nobles to survive. Their chance encounter was a collision of past glory and present despair. 5. Artistic Features & Purpose: Du Fu uses juxtaposition of past opulence and present decay to lament the empire’s fall and personal misfortunes. The "falling blooms" serve as a multi-layered symbol—of spring’s end, the Tang’s decline, and fleeting human fortune. The poem’s concise, understated language packs immense emotional weight, turning a casual meeting into a timeless meditation on loss and transience.