The Collection of Classical Chinese Poetry by Bin Li presents 395 Classical Chinese poems by the Chinese-American poet Bin Li. They are presented in chronological order, each with the poet’s notes on the circumstances of its composition and explanatory footnotes where necessary. This collection covers a period of 50 years, from September 1962, when the poet graduated from college, to March 2011, before the poet’s death. It covers the poet’s life journey from the small village in China, to his new life in the United States.



Classical Chinese poetry is written in Classical Chinese, typified by certain traditional forms, and certain traditional genres. Various combinations of forms and genres exist. Many of these forms were developed by the end of the Tang Dynasty, and use of and development in these forms actively continues even in the 21st century.