Sima Xiangru

Sima Xiangru (Chinese: 司馬相如; c. 179 – 117 BC) was an ancient Chinese poet, writer, musician, and official who lived during the Western Han Dynasty. Sima is a significant figure in the history of Classical Chinese poetry, and is generally regarded as the greatest of all composers of Chinese fu rhapsodies. 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 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.

Early life and career

Sima Xiangru was born in the commandery of Shu (modern Sichuan Province) in the early 2nd century BC. His birth year is generally given as 179 BC, but other sources give it variously as 172, 171, or 169 BC. Most sources agree that he was born in Chengdu, though the 19th-century scholar Wang Peixun proposed he may actually have been from Pengzhou (modern Peng'an County).