Biography

Liu Changqing was born around either 710 or 725. He came from the city of Xuancheng. His ancestral hometown was Hejian. Most of his youth was spent in the city of Luoyang. Liu obtained his Jinshi title around 750s. In 780, he became the governor of Suizhou in Henan province. Because of his term in Suizhou, Liu was often called Liu Suizhou by his contemporaries.

He died around 786.

Poetry

Liu's poems did not receive much praise during his lifetime although he was one of the representative poets during the reign of Emperor Dezong of Tang. However, he was gradually acknowledged by later generations. Liu was especially skillful on the writing of poems with 5 characters.

An example of his poetry can be seen below:

生平

年轻时在嵩山读书，唐玄宗开元进士，曾任监察御史，常因性情刚烈而冒犯他人，至德三年（乾元元年，758年）正月，摄海盐令。因事由苏州长洲尉贬为潘州南巴（今广东电白县）尉，唐代宗时任转运使判官，知淮西、鄂岳转运留后，大历年间，又因得罪了鄂岳观察使吴仲孺，被诬为贪赃，贬为睦州（今浙江淳安）司马。终官随州（今湖北随县）刺史，世称「刘随州」。贞元元年，淮西节度使李希烈割据随州称王，时局动荡，刘长卿离开随州，晚年流寓江州，曾入淮南节度使幕。约卒于贞元六年。

刘长卿擅长五言近体诗，其诗大多抒发政治失意的感情，内容多写荒村水乡、幽寒孤寂之境，如「城池百战后，耆旧几家残」（《穆陵关北逢人归渔阳》），「鸟雀空城在，榛芜旧路迁」（《送河南元判官赴河南勾当苗税充百官俸禄》），并反映社会离乱及政治失意之感，如「地远明君弃，天高酷吏欺」（《初贬南巴至鄱阳题李嘉佑江亭》）。风格温雅流畅，冠绝于当世，自称为「五言长城」。著随州集、外集。《全唐诗话》有记载：长卿以诗驰声上元、宝应间。皇甫湜云：「诗未有刘长卿一句，已呼阮籍为老兵矣；笔语未有骆宾王一字，已骂宋玉为罪人矣。」卢文弨评价刘长卿为杜甫之后的「巨擘」，而且「众体皆工，不独五言为长城」。刘长卿主要活动于吴越地区，高仲武评其诗「大抵十首以上，语意稍同，于落句尤甚，思锐才窄也」，实为大历诗人的代表。《全唐诗》编录其诗为5卷。《唐诗三百首》收录刘长卿诗11首。

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