Chants de Chu
Wang Bao ( 84 53 BCE), courtesy name Ziyuan (子淵), was a Chinese poet during the Western Han Dynasty. He was well versed in the Classical Chinese poetry tradition. He was involved in the "Chu Ci" poetry revival which took place in the second part of Emperor Xuan's reign, and which led to the creation of poetry that would eventually form part of the early poetry anthology by the same name, compiled by Wang Yi. "Chu Ci" means "literature of Chu", Chu being the area of a former independent kingdom, located in what was from the viewpoint of the Han Dynasty the south of China. Wang Bao is particularly known today as the author of the "Chu Ci" section "Nine Regrets". His poetry was not as famous as "Li Sao" or "Heavenly Questions". Indeed sometimes Qu Yuan has been credited as the author of his poetry (as have all the "Chu Ci" contents) . Wang Bao's works were included in one of the two major early anthologies of Chinese poetry which has helped to secure Wang Bao's legacy as a poet and author. Wang Bao became famous during the reign of Han Dynasty emperor Emperor Xuan (r. 74 BCE – 49 BCE), and he attended the courts of the emperor and the prince, his presumptive heir.