Li Bo and the zan

One of the more overlooked forms of Chinese poetry is that called by the word zan 讚 or “appreciation.” Here we examine the pre-Tang use of the term in its application both to a summary prose or verse statement in historical texts as well as to a form of verse often regarded as akin to the song 頌 or “laud” but especially associated with illustrations or paintings. Discussion then proceeds to a focus on and analysis of Li Bo’s 李白 seventeen extant zan poems, nearly all of which are about or were inscribed on paintings. These poems can be divided among three categories: those on portrayed individuals, those on objects and scenes, and those on Buddhist topics. Li Bo’s zan give evidence of certain new as well as differently emphasized developments in the form.