Zuo Fen (; c. 255–300) was a Chinese woman poet of the

Western Jin Western may refer to: Places *Western, Nebraska, a village in the US *Western, New York, a town in the US *Western Creek, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western Junction, Tasmania, a locality in Australia *Western world, countries that id ...

dynasty.

Life

Zuo Fen was born in Linzi prefecture to a family of

Confucian Confucianism, also known as Ruism or Ru classicism, is a system of thought and behavior originating in ancient China. Variously described as tradition, a philosophy, a Religious Confucianism, religion, a humanistic or rationalistic religion, ...

scholars. Her mother died young, but her father, Zuo Yong, became an imperial official in charge of the imperial archives. She got a good literary education and often played word games with her brother,

Zuo Si Zuo Si (; 250–305), courtesy name Taichong (), was a Chinese writer and poet who lived in the Western Jin dynasty. Biography Zuo was born to an aristocratic family of Confucian scholars in Linzi. His mother died young. His father, Zuo Yong, ...

, who would become a famous writer as well. In 272 she went to the palace and became a

concubine Concubinage is an interpersonal and sexual relationship between a man and a woman in which the couple does not want, or cannot enter into a full marriage. Concubinage and marriage are often regarded as similar but mutually exclusive. Concubi ...

Emperor Wu of Jin Emperor Wu of Jin (; 236 – 16 May 290), personal name Sima Yan (), courtesy name Anshi (安世), was the grandson of Sima Yi, nephew of Sima Shi and son of Sima Zhao. He became the first emperor of the Jin dynasty after forcing Cao Huan, ...

. There she wrote the ''Rhapsody of Thoughts on Separation'', in which she expressed frustration at being separated from her family and the rest of the world. Her expression of dissatisfaction with life at the palace, which was rare, did not make her lose favour and she was raised to the highest rank of ''noble concubine''. The emperor regularly commanded writings from her, but she was often ill and did not play a political role at court.Chang, Saussy and Kwong, p. 31. When

Empress Yang Yan Yang Yan (楊艷) (238 – August 25, 274), courtesy name Qiongzhi (瓊芝), formally Empress Wuyuan (武元皇后, "the martial and discerning empress") was an empress of the Jin dynasty (266–420). She was the first wife of Emperor Wu of Ji ...

died, she wrote a song of mourning in her honour. Zuo Fen died in 300.

References

Sources

* * 255 births 300 deaths Jin dynasty (266–420) poets Jin dynasty (266–420) imperial consorts Chinese women poets 3rd-century Chinese women writers 3rd-century writers Writers from Zibo Poets from Shandong 3rd-century Chinese poets {{China-writer-stub