Of the great poets living in the 4th century BC, the most famous is Qu Yuan, born in the Chu Kingdom. Qu Yuan and his follower Song Yu established a new style of poetry -- Chu Ci (literally, poetry of the Chu Kingdom).

Qu Yuan (340-278BC) was an important politician in the Chu Kingdom of the Warring States Period (475-221), and spent his whole life in complicated political conflicts. At that time, Qu Yuan was aware that the state and families would inavoidably suffer from foreign devastation because of the domestic troubles and the foreign invasion. He had been framed by conspirators and couldn't dedicate himself to serve the state. Full of grief and indignation, he threw himself into Miluo River on 5 of the fifth month in lunar calendar.

As the first great patriotic poet in the history of Chinese literature, Qu Yuan composed 25 poems including Lament on Encountering Sorrow, The Nine Songs (11 pieces), Asking Heaven, The Nine Elegies (9 pieces), The Far-off Journey Divination, and The Fisherman.

Lament on Encountering Sorrow is Qu Yuan's classic work, which is also the earliest long lyric poem in China. The poem resolutely uncloaks the repulsiveness of the ruling class by deploying a series of metaphors, and at the same time portrays some upstanding models who adhere to justice and who are unafraid of persecution and very devoted to their country and people.

Lament on Encountering Sorrow is a romantic lyric poem with a measured realism. The poet utilizes a great deal of exaggeration in portraying characters and describing objects. The assemblage of fairy tales further enhances the poem's romantic flavor Metaphors are lavishly laid out in Lament on Encountering Sorrow, for example, a fragrant plant is compared to people's uplifting qualities, the love between an man and woman is likened to the relationship between an emperor and his subjects, and the reins of a horse akin to the management of a country. The form of Lament on Encountering Sorrow comes from its origins in local oral traditions, and its very concise language echoes the many dialects of the Chu Kingdom. Qu Yuan's works are rich, full of profound ideas, and bold and unrestrained vigor, having far-reaching influence on the works of the later generations.