[1]Identity and datesThe entry identifies Meng Haoran as a Tang poet and man of letters, gives his name, style name, rank, home, later appellation, and the competing date formulations of 689–740, 690–740, 689 or 691 to approximately 740.
CBDBMeng Haoran (93956)The basic profile supplies the English and Chinese names, dates, Tang affiliation, style name, rank, Xiangyang home, and poet and man-of-letters classifications.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The profile and biographical entries confirm Haoran as the style name, sixth rank, Xiangzhou Xiangyang origin, the name Meng Xiangyang, and the alternative date formulations.
WikidataMeng Haoran (Q455589)The English label and description, alias, and date claims independently identify him as Meng Haoran, a Tang poet, with Haoran as an alias and dates of 690 and 740.
[2]Seclusion and travelsHe lived in seclusion at Lumen Mountain and his ancestral estate, remained a commoner, travelled across the sea, Ba and Shu, and Wu and Yue, and left poems during his travels.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The biographical entries describe his two places of seclusion, lifelong status as a commoner, extensive travel, and poems left during those travels.
[3]Chang’an examinationIn 728 he went to Chang’an, failed the jinshi examination, returned to Xiangyang, and impressed the audience at the Imperial Academy; his poetic expression of aspirations for office weakened only late in life.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The biographical entries give the 728 Chang’an examination, the failed jinshi attempt, return to Xiangyang, the Imperial Academy episode, and his persistent but later fading interest in office.
[4]Xuanzong story and recommendationThe Chang’an meeting with Emperor Xuanzong was widely circulated but judged unreliable; Han Chaozong recommended him for an imperial audience, which failed when Meng did not attend after drinking with friends.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The biographical account discusses the widespread but unreliable Xuanzong story and Han Chaozong’s unsuccessful recommendation.
[5]Jingzhou appointmentZhang Jiuling’s Jingzhou appointment is presented in two forms, and Meng’s return and service dates also vary; he served as a congshi and accompanied Zhang on inspections, religious observances, hunting, and poetic exchanges.
CBDBMeng Haoran (93956)The office entry identifies the congshi appointment and dates it within Kaiyuan 25–27, or 737–739.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The biographical entries give the alternative appointed and demoted formulations for Zhang Jiuling, Meng’s congshi appointment, return chronology, inspections, and poetic exchanges.
[6]Friendships and deathHe had farewell poetic contact with Li Bai and exchanges with He Zhizhang, Wang Wei, and Wang Changling; he died in 740 after an illness on his back flared following food.
CBDBMeng Haoran (93956)The association entries identify Li Bai’s Yellow Crane Tower farewell poem and exchanges of poems and prose with He Zhizhang, Wang Wei, and Wang Changling.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The biographies describe Wang Changling’s meeting with Meng in Xiangyang, the illness on his back, the recurrence after eating fresh food, and his death at Yecheng’s Nanyuan.
[7]Poetic positionHe was an early figure in Tang landscape poetry, a representative poet of the High Tang landscape-and-pastoral school, and a near contemporary in style and reputation of Wang Wei, with whom he was called Wang–Meng.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The critical and biographical entries call him a pioneer or representative of Tang landscape and landscape-and-pastoral poetry, and associate him with Wang Wei as Wang–Meng.
[8]Style and contemporary praiseHis landscape poetry is characterized by quiet and plain clarity; criticism favors his five-character forms over long seven-character poems, while Tang poets praised his achievement and natural response to scenes.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The entries and later poetic judgments describe his landscape writing, quiet and plain manner, the relative strength of his five-character verse, the weakness of long seven-character poems, and praise by Du Fu and Pi Rixiu.
[9]Yellow Crane Tower poemsHe repeatedly visited Jiangxia, hosted and saw off guests at the Yellow Crane Tower while drinking and composing, and is associated with the listed poems and four poems preserved on the Ezhou stele.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The Yellow Crane Tower entry lists his visits to Jiangxia, hosting and seeing off friends at the tower, drinking and composing, the associated poems, and four poems on the Ezhou stele.
[10]Collection and textual transmissionThe surviving collection is called 《孟浩然詩集》 or 《孟襄陽集》 and was arranged in three juan by Wang Shiyuan in Tianbao 4; the Complete Tang Poems, early editions, standard Ming-based editions, and annotated editions are also documented.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The poetry overview gives the three-juan arrangement by Wang Shiyuan in Tianbao 4 and the alternative title 《孟襄陽集》.
[11]Editions and contentsTwo juan are preserved in the Complete Tang Poems, with two added poems and six fragments; the earliest surviving edition is a Song Shu engraving, followed by standard editions based on Ming copies and later annotated editions.
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The textual-history entry gives the Complete Tang Poems contents, supplements, Song Shu edition, Ming-copy editions, and named annotated editions.
CBDB
Souyun孟浩然 (13993)The profile and biographical entries confirm Haoran as the style name, sixth rank, Xiangzhou Xiangyang origin, the name Meng Xiangyang, and the alternative date formulations.
WikidataMeng Haoran (Q455589)The English label and description, alias, and date claims independently identify him as Meng Haoran, a Tang poet, with Haoran as an alias and dates of 690 and 740.