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For other authors named Wang Wei, see the disambiguation page.

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About the Author

Wang Wei is an exceptionally visual poet, and in reading his descriptions of the play of light over forest and moss, or the reflection of bamboos in a meandering stream, we can easily accept that in his lifetime he was known as much for his paintings as for his verse. In fact, there is some show more evidence to suggest that he was the first to paint landscapes on long horizontal scrolls, an innovation that brought much greater scope and complexity to Chinese painting. Originally written to accompany such a scroll of unfolding landscapes along the river is a series of poems, the "Wang River Sequence," in which Wang Wei writes of scenes near his country estate in Lan-t'ien (a day's journey in his time from the capital in Ch'ang-an). Unfortunately, though the poems survive, the paintings do not. Wang Wei had the best pedigree of all of the greatest T'ang poets. His father hailed from the T'ai-yuan (Shensi) Wang clan, one of the most powerful in the capital region, and his mother was a Ts'ui, an equally old and prominent family of accomplished literati. Therefore, it is not surprising that his talents were noticed early and that he passed the highest examinations when he was only 23. His career, however, was not outstanding. He served on and off in a number of modest posts, interspersed with periods of retirement at his beloved estate. What distinguishes Wang is that this failure to rise to high position was probably largely his own choice. While he did not shun the court and politics for the life of a total recluse, he also did not strive. He was a devout Buddhist and seems to have had as strong a pull toward passive contemplation as toward active involvement. It is his Buddhist inclinations which inspire Wang Wei's poetry; he loves natural imagery as a focus of contemplation, but it is a means for him of reaching integration and harmony with the universe and not merely an end in itself. (Bowker Author Biography) show less
Image credit: David Schroeter, February 15, 2007

Works by Wang Wei

Three Tang Dynasty Poets (2015) 177 copies
Poems of Wang Wei (1973) — Author — 142 copies
Three Chinese Poets (1992) — Author — 130 copies
Five T'ang Poets (1990) 100 copies
Poems By Wang Wei (1958) 23 copies
Poesie del fiume Wang (1956) 12 copies
Tang Poems (2001) 11 copies
Hiding the Universe (1972) 9 copies

Associated Works

Zen Poems (Everyman's Library Pocket Poets) (1999) — Contributor — 170 copies
Classical Chinese Poetry (2008) — Contributor — 123 copies
Trees: A Celebration (1989) — Contributor — 13 copies

Tagged

Common Knowledge

Canonical name
Wang Wei
Legal name
王維
Birthdate
701
Date of death
761
Gender
male
Nationality
China
Occupations
poet

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Reviews

An extremely interesting look at poetry, translation, culture, and implication. I think it would’ve been interesting to have a conclusion at the end wherein the essayist takes a holistic look at the interpretations. He does draw comparison here and there between the different translations, but a final portion comparing what he deems the best and most lacking translations would’ve been a nice end.
 
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HannahRenea | 6 other reviews | Apr 25, 2023 |
A delightful, grumpy consideration of translation issues through a single Chinese poem.
 
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et.carole | 6 other reviews | Jan 21, 2022 |
I really enjoyed this collection of poems! The visual effects summoned in the poems were brilliant and I found that despite their age, and their having been translated, they were easy to follow and understand. I especially appreciated the fact that it included a short story at the end that had been the inspiration for one of the poems.
 
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TCLinrow | 6 other reviews | Mar 17, 2021 |
I really enjoyed this collection of poems! The visual effects summoned in the poems were brilliant and I found that despite their age, and their having been translated, they were easy to follow and understand. I especially appreciated the fact that it included a short story at the end that had been the inspiration for one of the poems.
 
Flagged
TCLinrow | 6 other reviews | Mar 17, 2021 |

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