Zheng Gu

TimelineCBDB

1. 893 縣尉 景福
2. 894 府署 乾寧
3. 896 補闕 乾寧
4. 897 都官郎中 乾寧

Office recordsCBDB

FamilyCBDB

AliasesCBDB

• 守愚 字
• 鄭都官 未詳

StatusCBDB

• 詩人
• 文人

AssociationsCBDB

ExaminationsCBDB

WorksCBDB

Citations

1. [1] Name and dates Zheng Gu is chiefly dated to about 851–910, although 849 is also given for his birth and 911 for his death.
   • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The basic person entry gives the name Zheng Gu and the birth year 851; it does not supply a death year.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The profile and biographical entries place his birth around 851 and his death around 910.
   • WikidataZheng Gu (Q16260132)The entity is labelled Zheng Gu and gives 851 and 849 as birth-year values and 911 as a death-year value.
2. [2] Identity Zheng Gu is identified as a late-Tang poet and man of letters.
   • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The basic entry places him in the Tang and classifies him as a poet and literary figure.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The profile places him in the late Tang, while the biographical entry presents him as a poet and author of verse.
   • WikidataZheng Gu (Q16260132)The entity description identifies Zheng Gu as a Chinese poet.
3. [3] Courtesy name and origin His courtesy name was Shouyu, and his home was Yichun in Yuanzhou, now Yichun in Jiangxi.
   • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The basic entry gives Shouyu as his courtesy name and Yichun as his native place.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The profile and introduction specify the courtesy name Shouyu and Yuanzhou Yichun, identified with present-day Yichun in Jiangxi.
   • WikidataZheng Gu (Q16260132)The name records give Shouyu as an English alias and as the Chinese courtesy name.
4. [4] Family Zheng Shi was his father, and Zheng Qi was his elder brother.
   • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The kinship entries identify Zheng Shi as father and Zheng Qi as elder brother.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The introduction calls him the son of Zheng Shi.
5. [5] Early talent He was precocious, could compose poetry at seven, and attracted Ma Dai’s notice.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographical entries say that he was precocious, could write poetry at seven, and was appreciated by Ma Dai.
6. [6] Sikong Tu tradition Another tradition says that Sikong Tu recognized his talent in childhood.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)A separate anecdote says that Sikong Tu found the young Zheng Gu extraordinary and predicted his future literary prominence.
7. [7] Examination career As an adult he pursued the jinshi examination for sixteen years.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biography and his preface state that he entered the jinshi examinations and spent sixteen years in the examination arena.
8. [8] Early writing In his own preface he recalled writing verse from childhood, accumulating drafts, and seeking the spring examination.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)His preface says that he wrote verse from the age of riding a bamboo hobbyhorse, filled chests with drafts, and sought the spring examination.
9. [9] Poetic friendships He exchanged poems with Xue Neng and Li Pin and associated with Zhang Qiao, Xu Tang, Zhou You, and Wen Xian.
   • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographical entries name his exchanges with Xue Neng and Li Pin and his associations with Zhang Qiao, Xu Tang, Zhou You, and Wen Xian.
10. [10] Group names The circle was called the Ten Worthies of the Xiantong era, while another tradition calls it the Ten Worthies of Fanglin.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The two biographical traditions give different names for the group: the Ten Worthies of Xiantong and the Ten Worthies of Fanglin.
11. [11] Flight and travels After Huang Chao entered Chang’an in 880, Zheng Gu fled to western Shu and later travelled in western Shu and Jingchu.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographies connect his flight to western Shu with Huang Chao’s entry into Chang’an in 880 and mention later travels in western Shu and Jingchu.
12. [12] Jinshi degree He passed the jinshi examination in the Guangqi era, with one chronology specifying 887.
    • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The examination entry records a jinshi qualification.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographies place his jinshi success in the Guangqi era, with two of them specifying the third year, 887.
13. [13] First appointments In 893 he entered office as commandant of Hu County, served concurrently in Jingzhao, and later held the posts of Right Shiyi and Right Buque.
    • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The appointment entries give the 893 Hu County post and list Right Shiyi and Buque.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographies specify the 893 appointment as Hu County commandant, the concurrent Jingzhao staff post, and the later promotions to Right Shiyi and Right Buque.
14. [14] Additional titles Other recorded titles include a Ruzhou functionary and service as a canjun.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The profile’s titles additionally include Ruzhou functionary and canjun.
15. [15] Huazhou and Yuntai bian When Emperor Zhaozong went to Huazhou, Zheng Gu followed the travelling court, became Duguan langzhong, lived at Yuntai Daoist Lodge, and compiled the three-juan Yuntai bian.
    • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The appointment and work entries list Duguan langzhong and Yuntai bian.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographies describe his following the court to Huazhou, transfer to Duguan langzhong, residence at Yuntai, and compilation of three juan of verse.
16. [16] Dating of Duguan langzhong The appointment as Duguan langzhong is dated to 896 in one chronology and 897 in another.
    • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The appointment entry dates the start of Duguan langzhong to 897, the fourth year of Qianning.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biography dates the transfer to Duguan langzhong to 896, the third year of Qianning.
17. [17] Return to Yichun Around 903 he returned to Yichun and exchanged poems with the monk Qiji.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographies place his return to Yichun and his poetic exchanges with Qiji in the Tianfu period, around 903.
18. [18] One-character teacher anecdote In the Early Plum anecdote, Zheng Gu changed “several blossoms” to “a single blossom,” after which Qiji honored him as a one-character teacher.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The accounts describe Qiji’s Early Plum poem, Zheng Gu’s change from several branches to one, and Qiji’s recognition of him as a one-character teacher.
19. [19] Retirement and death He retired to the Yangshan Academy and died at the Beiyan villa; other accounts place his death after the Later Liang began.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)One biography gives the Yangshan retirement and Beiyan death, while other chronologies say that he died after entering Liang.
20. [20] Zheng Zhegu and Zheng Duguan His Partridge poem gave him the name Zheng Zhegu, while his office gave rise to the appellation Zheng Duguan.
    • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The name and appointment entries give Zheng Duguan and the office of Duguan langzhong.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographies connect the name Zheng Zhegu with the Partridge poem and Zheng Duguan with his office.
    • WikidataZheng Gu (Q16260132)The English alias list includes Zheng douguan.
21. [21] Five- and seven-character verse He excelled in five- and seven-character poetry.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)A biographical epitaph calls him especially accomplished in five- and seven-character poetry.
22. [22] Style and circulation His poetry was clear, graceful, direct, and easy to understand; it circulated widely in the late Tang and was used to teach children.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The evaluations call his poetry clear, graceful, direct, and easy to understand, describe its wide circulation, and say that families used it to teach children.
23. [23] Critical assessments Assessments differed: some found his poetic form insufficiently elevated, structurally frail, or too soft, while others found distinctive thought in it and valued his quatrains as those of a master.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The later evaluations include criticism of his low or weak poetic form and softness, but also praise the thought in his verse and the quality of his quatrains.
24. [24] Collections The three-juan Yuntai bian survives under the alternate title Zheng Shouyu’s Collected Works; the three-juan Yiyang ji is lost, and Yiyang waibian is also listed among his works.
    • CBDBZheng Gu (93832)The work entries list Yiyang waibian, Yiyang ji, and Yuntai bian.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The biographies state that the three-juan Yuntai bian survives under the alternate title Zheng Shouyu’s Collected Works and that the three-juan Yiyang ji is lost.
25. [25] Poems in anthologies The Quan Tang shi preserves four juan of his poems, and the Quan Tang shi xubian adds three poems and six lines.
    • Souyun鄭谷 (20907)The poetry summaries give four juan in the Quan Tang shi; one also records three additional poems and six lines in the continuation.