William Empson, born on September 27, 1906 in Yorkshire, England, is a famous British literary critic and poet. He is famous for his role in Seven Types of Obscurity. He is a master of Chinese English speaking circles since the 1940s and a master of modern Chinese poetry. He once served as Professor of English Literature at Tokyo University of Arts and Sciences, Professor of English Literature at Peking University, Chinese Editor of the BBC, and Professor of English Literature at the University of Sheffield in the UK. Died on April 15, 1984, at the age of 77.