gushi

Chinese literature

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July 16, 2026

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The term "gushi" refers to "ancient-style poetry" in Chinese literature. This poetic form emerged during the Han dynasty (206 BCE–220 CE) and was influenced by the yuefu, or folk-ballad tradition. Unlike earlier, more restrictive forms, gushi allowed for greater flexibility in rhyme and meter, with lines of varying lengths. Prominent poets like Li Bai and Bai Juyi continued to create works in this tradition. The gushi provided a foundation for later poetic developments, such as the more formal lüshi.123

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Chinese literature
Poetry
…a new type of poetry, gushi (“ancient-style poems”); contemporary Han dynasty poets at first merely refined the originals of the folk songs without claiming credit and later imitated their fresh and lively metre.
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…a new type of poetry, gushi (“ancient-style poems”); contemporary Han dynasty poets at first merely refined the originals of the folk songs without claiming credit and later imitated their fresh and lively metre.
Read More

yuefu
…ground for the later classic gushi (“ancient-style poetry”), with its broader use of rhyme and fewer metrical restrictions. Many later writers, including the great Li Bai (701–762) and Bai Juyi (772–846), continued to create poems derived from the yuefu tradition.
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…ground for the later classic gushi (“ancient-style poetry”), with its broader use of rhyme and fewer metrical restrictions. Many later writers, including the great Li Bai (701–762) and Bai Juyi (772–846), continued to create poems derived from the yuefu tradition.
Read More