Ruan Ji
Resisted the Sima clan through drunkenness and "black-and-white glances"; his "Poems of My Heart" set the trend for lyrical five-character verse.
Life
Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove
Ruan Ji, son of Ruan Yu, one of the Seven Masters of Jian'an, read widely and was especially fond of the Zhuangzi. He and Ji Kang and others were together called the "Seven Sages of the Bamboo Grove."
Drank to avoid trouble
After the Sima clan seized power, unwilling to cooperate yet not daring to resist openly, he often drank to avoid trouble. When Sima Zhao wanted to arrange a marriage between their children, Ruan Ji stayed drunk for 60 days, leaving Sima Zhao no chance to raise the matter. He showed the whites of his eyes to vulgar people and looked at true friends with the dark of his eyes.
Poems of My Heart
His 82 "Poems of My Heart" obliquely express his anguish and are important works in the development of five-character verse. He died in 263.
Legacy
Ruan Ji's anguish and feigned madness represented how Wei-Jin scholars survived under political repression.
Major works & achievements
- 82 "Poems of My Heart"
Did you know? The expressions "green eyes" (showing favor) and "white eyes" (showing disdain) come from the way he looked at people.
Key dates
- 249Kept out of harm after the Incident at Gaoping Tombs
- 262Forced to write a memorial urging accession
- 263Died