Which two Song poets besides Li Qingzhao and Su Shi are known for Ci and lyric verse, and where do they fit chronologically?

Which two Song poets besides Li Qingzhao and Su Shi are known for Ci and lyric verse, and where do they fit chronologically?

• A. Li Qingzhao and Su Shi are the only Ci poets.
• B. Bai Juyi and Du Fu from the Tang era.
• C. Wang Anshi and Ouyang Xiu in early Song.
• D. Lu You and Xin Qiji, late Song poets renowned for Ci and lyric verse.

Answer: (D)

Ci poetry in the Song era flourished as a highly personal, lyric form set to musical tunes, and alongside Li Qingzhao and Su Shi, two later Song masters stand out for their rich Ci and lyric verse. Lu You and Xin Qiji are celebrated as late Song poets who wrote vivid, emotionally charged Ci, blending personal longing with strong expression of feeling and, in Xin Qiji’s case, martial and national sentiment. Their dates place them in the Southern Song period, after Li Qingzhao and Su Shi, which is why they’re the best fit for “two Song poets besides Li Qingzhao and Su Shi.” The other options shift to Tang poets or early Song figures who are not primarily known for Ci and lyric verse, so they don’t match the question’s scope.

Ci poetry in the Song era flourished as a highly personal, lyric form set to musical tunes, and alongside Li Qingzhao and Su Shi, two later Song masters stand out for their rich Ci and lyric verse. Lu You and Xin Qiji are celebrated as late Song poets who wrote vivid, emotionally charged Ci, blending personal longing with strong expression of feeling and, in Xin Qiji’s case, martial and national sentiment. Their dates place them in the Southern Song period, after Li Qingzhao and Su Shi, which is why they’re the best fit for “two Song poets besides Li Qingzhao and Su Shi.” The other options shift to Tang poets or early Song figures who are not primarily known for Ci and lyric verse, so they don’t match the question’s scope.