Qu Yuan (340 BC - 278 BC) was the first great patriotic poet in the history of Chinese literature. There are 25 of his works, including: Jiu Ge, Zhaohun, Tianwen, Li Sao, Jiuzhang, Buju and Fisherman.
"Li Sao" is Qu Yuan's masterpiece and the earliest long lyric poem in China. The poet used many metaphors in the poem to ruthlessly expose the ugliness of the ruling group and criticized their evil, indulgence, greed, lust and rape. At the same time, he also created an image of a character who upholds justice, pursues truth, does not avoid hardships, is not afraid of persecution, and loves his country and people.
"Li Sao" is a romantic lyric poem with practical significance. In the poem, whether it is the shaping of the protagonist's image or the description of the characteristics of some things, the poet uses a large number of exaggerated romantic expression techniques. The full use of myths and legends spreads the wings of colorful fantasy and further strengthens the romantic charm of "Li Sao". The use of comparison and xing techniques is very common in "Li Sao". For example, he uses vanilla to compare the noble character of the poet, the relationship between men and women to compare the relationship between monarch and ministers, and the driving horse to compare the governance of the country.
The form of "Li Sao" comes from the oral creation of the people of Chu State, and the poet transformed it into a long novel, making it contain rich content. Its language is refined, absorbing many dialects of Chu State, and its sentence construction is quite distinctive.