Bai Juyi

High school (ages 12+)
History & Culture

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Open the article and read it at the level above. Then answer the questions below in your own words.

https://smallwhale.org/articles/bai-juyi

Write what each word means, using the article.

Do not copy the article. Write two things you learned, the way you would explain them to a friend.

Answers below are taken from the article’s stored facts, so they match what the student read.

1. When was Bai Juyi born?772 AD
2. When did Bai Juyi die?846 AD (age 74)
3. Where was Bai Juyi born?Taiyuan, Tang Dynasty China (near modern-day Xi'an)
4. What is the career trajectory?Government official, poet, and social critic
5. Who was Bai Juyi?Bai Juyi was a famous Chinese poet who lived from 772 to 846 AD during the Tang Dynasty. He wrote more than 2,800 poems that many people could read and enjoy.
6. Why did Bai Juyi want everyone to understand his poems?He believed poetry should be clear and easy for all people. He used simple language and even read his poems to elderly women, changing them until they understood.

Vernacular Language: The everyday language spoken by ordinary people in a particular country or region.
Tang Dynasty: A period of Chinese history (618–907 AD) renowned for its cosmopolitanism, cultural achievements, and flourishing arts.
Social Stratification: The division of society into hierarchical layers or classes based on factors like wealth, status, and power.