Sima Xiangru Biography | Poet

Sima Xiangru, also known as Ssu-ma Hsiang-ju (179–127 BC) was a Chinese poet, musician, and author of the Western Han Dynasty (206 BCE – 9 CE). Sima's importance in Classical Chinese poetry consists both in his surviving works, several of which are especially famous, but also in his contribution to innovation in form and style. His poetry includes his invention or at least development of the fu form, applying new metrical rhythms to the lines of poetry, which he mixed with lines of prose, and provided with several of what would in ensuing centuries become among a group of common set topics for this genre. He was also versatile enough to write in the Chu Ci-style, while it was enjoying a brief renaissance, and he also wrote lyrics in what would become known as the yuefu formal style. Musically, Sima Xiangru is known for mastery of the guqin .