Lu Ji
Encyclopedia
Lu Ji style name
Shiheng (士衡), was a writer and literary critic of Eastern Wu
during the Three Kingdoms
period of Chinese history
.
. After Wu was subjugated
by the Jin Dynasty
in 280, he along with his brother Lu Yun moved to the capital, Luoyang
, where he became prominent in both literature and politics and was made president of the imperial university. "He was too scintillating for the comfort of his jealous contemporaries; in 303 he, along with his two brothers and two sons, was put to death on a false charge of high treason."
Lu Ji wrote much lyric poetry but is better known for writing fu
, a mixture of prose and poetry. He is best remembered for the Wenfu 文賦 ("On Literature"), a piece of literary criticism that discourses on the principles of composition. Achilles Fang
wrote of it:
Chinese style name
A Chinese style name, sometimes also known as a courtesy name , is a given name to be used later in life. After 20 years of age, the zì is assigned in place of one's given name as a symbol of adulthood and respect...
Shiheng (士衡), was a writer and literary critic of Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu
Eastern Wu, also known as Sun Wu, was one the three states competing for control of China during the Three Kingdoms period after the fall of the Han Dynasty. It was based in the Jiangnan region of China...
during the Three Kingdoms
Three Kingdoms
The Three Kingdoms period was a period in Chinese history, part of an era of disunity called the "Six Dynasties" following immediately the loss of de facto power of the Han Dynasty rulers. In a strict academic sense it refers to the period between the foundation of the state of Wei in 220 and the...
period of Chinese history
History of China
Chinese civilization originated in various regional centers along both the Yellow River and the Yangtze River valleys in the Neolithic era, but the Yellow River is said to be the Cradle of Chinese Civilization. With thousands of years of continuous history, China is one of the world's oldest...
.
Biography
Lu Ji was a direct descendant of the founders of Eastern Wu and son of the general Lu KangLu Kang
Lu Kang , style name Youjie , was a military general of the state of Eastern Wu during the Three Kingdoms era of Chinese history. He was the son of Lu Xun and a maternal grandson of Sun Ce. He was praised for his talent and wisdom....
. After Wu was subjugated
Conquest of Wu by Jin
The conquest of Wu by Jin was a military campaign launched by the Jin Dynasty against the state of Eastern Wu in 280 towards the end of the Three Kingdoms period of Chinese history...
by the Jin Dynasty
Jìn Dynasty (265-420)
The Jìn Dynasty , was a dynasty in Chinese history, lasting between the years 265 and 420 AD. There are two main divisions in the history of the Dynasty, the first being Western Jin and the second Eastern Jin...
in 280, he along with his brother Lu Yun moved to the capital, Luoyang
Luoyang
Luoyang is a prefecture-level city in western Henan province of Central China. It borders the provincial capital of Zhengzhou to the east, Pingdingshan to the southeast, Nanyang to the south, Sanmenxia to the west, Jiyuan to the north, and Jiaozuo to the northeast.Situated on the central plain of...
, where he became prominent in both literature and politics and was made president of the imperial university. "He was too scintillating for the comfort of his jealous contemporaries; in 303 he, along with his two brothers and two sons, was put to death on a false charge of high treason."
Lu Ji wrote much lyric poetry but is better known for writing fu
Fu (poetry)
Fu is a kind of rhymed prose, or poetry style essay, popular in ancient China, especially during the Han Dynasty. The term fu is often used in a multiway contrast with the more purely poetic shi style, with the fixed-rhythm forms of poetry , and with various more explicitly prosaic forms of...
, a mixture of prose and poetry. He is best remembered for the Wenfu 文賦 ("On Literature"), a piece of literary criticism that discourses on the principles of composition. Achilles Fang
Achilles Fang
Achilles Fang was a sinologist and comparatist. He was held in great esteem by those who knew him in life; Marianne Moore called him "the word wizard." His correspondence with Ezra Pound significantly influenced Pound's understanding of Chinese subjects, and his doctoral dissertation on Pound, an...
wrote of it:
The Wen-fu is considered one of the most articulate treatises on Chinese poetics. The extent of its influence in Chinese literary history is equaled only by that of the sixth-century The Literary Mind and the Carving of DragonsThe Literary Mind and the Carving of DragonsThe Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons is China's first work of aesthetics and also the first systematic work of literary criticism from that country...
of Liu HsiehLiu XieLiu Xie , courtesy name Yanhe , was a Chinese writer. He was the author of China's greatest work of literary aesthetics, The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons 《文心雕龍》. His biography is included in the Liangshu....
. In the original, the Wen-fu is rhymed, but does not employ regular rhythmic patterns: hence the term "rhymeprose."
Appointments and titles held
- General of the Standard (牙門將) - Lu Ji and his brothers held this same appointment when they controlled Wu's military after their father's death
- The following appointments and titles were held by Lu Ji when he served the Jin Dynasty
- Interior Minister of Pingyuan (平原內史)
- Libationer (祭酒)
- Gentleman of Writings (著作郎)