The term “The Poetry of the South” appeared first in The “Biography of Zhang Tang” of the “Records of the Historian” . Originally , the term referred to the indigenous songs and ballads in the Chu area . Later , it referred specifically to the new style poetry represented by the works of Qu Yuan who lived in the Chu Kingdom during the Warring State Period . The new poetic style had a rich flavor of the local culture . As Huang Bosi in the Song Dynasty observed , “All the works used the Chu dialect and recorded the Chu events and things”. (from “Comments on the East”) Towards the end of the Western Han Dynasty Liu Xiang compiled an anthology of works by Qu Yuan and Song Yu as well as works by the contemporizes in imitation of their style , and titled the anthology the “Poetry of the Chu” (the “Poetry of the south”) . This is another anthology of ballads and songs in ancient China with a far-reaching influence after the “Book of Poems”. It pioneered romanticism in Chinese poetry .
　　The name of Qu Yuan is closely knitted with the “Poetry of the South”. As commented in the “Analysis of literature Like Sculpting a Dragon” , “Without Qu Yuan , there would be without Sorrow After Departure”. Qu Yuan , alias Qu Ping , was the earliest known famous Chinese poet . When the situation on the Chu Kingdom deteriorated quickly and he was exiled , unable to realize his ideal , he wrote the immortal masterpieces : “Sorrow After Departure”. “Ask Heaven”, “Nine Elegize” , “Deplore Ying City” , “Remembering Shad City” , etc ., and drowned himself in the Miluo River . His noble personality and his excellent poems have impressed greatly the later generations .

  　The “Nine Elegizes” was the collective title of nine poems , which combined perfectly the sentiment of sorrow , realistic description , and intense argumentation . The metaphorical poem of the “Praise to Orange”, was fresh and pure like the flowing water of a brook , showing the noble Character of the poet , who was “virtuous and selfless” , “broad and not over flowing”. The eleven verses of the “Nine Songs” based on hymns to deities were fresh and elegant , rhymed and impressive . The verse “Martyrs of the Nation” pictured in robust touches the brave heroes facing death like going home . The verse “Ask Heaven” was a very excellent verse , including a series of questions on myth and history , woven with rich sentiments and imagination , which showed the awakening of the time from myth to history , as well as the unbounded enthusiasm of the poet in his search for the truth . The verse consisted of staggering lines and was regarded as the “first class unorthodox writing” in the history of the Chinese literature .
　　 “Sorrow After Departure” , “Qu Yuan’s representative work , was the longest lyric in ancient China , an outstanding romantic masterpiece of lasting fame . It depicted myths , legends , historical personages , natural phenomena , mountains , rivers , and drifting sand , a colorful world woven with deep , complex feelings and imaginations . It was an “unparalleled , excellent , unorthodox” masterpiece , combining unrestrained romantic imaginations with deep fervent feelings . It was the “beginning of the Chinese romantic lyricism , and was the superb model for the later lyricists”. (from Li Zehou: “The Course of Beauty”)
.　　The style of the “Poetry of the South” inaugurated by Qu Yuan underwent a change in which the new literary form of rhymed prose (“Fu”) emerged . As pointed out by Liu Xie , rhymed prose originated from the “Book of Poems” and the “Poetry of the South”. Rhymed prose had two features . One feature is : it is suitable for reciting , not for singing . Unlike the poems in the “Book of Poems” , it was not suitable for singing melodiously , but was suitable for reading aloud . In its form , it modified the lyrics of the “Poetry of the South”. It does not use many functional words and many modal particles at he end of verses . It was nearer to the prose . So, the rhymed prose was an independent form of literature detached from singing and dance , although it originated from the “Poetry of South”. The other feature of the rhymed prose was that it laid emphasis on elaboration and description . It “describes the world and reviews persons and things”. To correspond with the demands of a great , united empire , Liu Xie said , “Rhymed prose specializes in elaboration . It elaborated on the description of things and on the expression of aspirations”. So , as a literary form , rhymed prose was used for describing things by means of elaboration , and lacked the rich lyric element of the “Poetry of the South” . This was the basic feature of the rhymed prose .