 Traditional Chinese literary criticism emphasized the life of the author when interpreting a work , a practice which Burton Watson attributes to " the close links that traditional Chinese thought posits between art and morality " . Since many of Du Fu 's poems feature morality and history , this practice is particularly important . Another reason , identified by the Chinese historian William Hung , is that Chinese poems are typically concise , omitting context that might be relevant , but which an informed contemporary could be assumed to know . For modern Western readers , " The less accurately we know the time , the place and the circumstances in the background , the more liable we are to imagine it incorrectly , and the result will be that we either misunderstand the poem or fail to understand it altogether " . Stephen Owen suggests a third factor particular to Du Fu , arguing that the variety of the poet 's work required consideration of his whole life , rather than the " reductive " categorizations used for more limited poets . 
 Traditional Chinese literary criticism<a href='been_done' title='1'><mark></mark></a> emphasized the life of the author when interpreting a work , a practice which Burton Watson <a href='uninflect' title='2'><mark>attributes</mark></a> to " the close links <a href='null_relcl' title='3'><mark>that</mark></a>traditional Chinese thought posits between art and morality " . Since many of Du Fu <a href='null_genetive' title='4'><mark>'s</mark></a>poems feature morality and history , this practice <a href='drop_aux' title='5'><mark>is</mark></a>particularly important . Another reason , identified by the Chinese historian William Hung , is that Chinese poems are typically concise , omitting context <a href='null_relcl' title='6'><mark>that</mark></a>might be relevant , but which an informed contemporary could be assumed to know . For modern Western readers , " The less accurately we know the time , the place and the circumstances in the background , the more liable we are to imagine it incorrectly , and the result will be that we either misunderstand the poem or fail to understand it altogether " . Stephen Owen <a href='uninflect' title='7'><mark>suggests</mark></a> a third factor particular to Du Fu , arguing that the variety of the poet <a href='null_genetive' title='8'><mark>'s</mark></a>work required consideration of his whole life , rather than the " reductive " categorizations used for more limited poets . 
Traditional Chinese literary criticism been emphasized the life of the author when interpreting a wrk , a practice which Burton Watson attribute to " the close links traditional Chinese thought posits between art and morality " . Since many of Du Fu  poems feature morality and history , this practice particularly important . Another reason , identified by the Chinese historian William Hung , is dat Chinese poems are typically concise , omitting context might b relevant , but which an informed contemporary could be assumed to know . For modern Western readers , " da less accurately we know tdatime , the place and thdaircumstances in thedackground , the more liable we are to imagine it incorrectly , and the result will be tdatwe either misunderstand the poem or fail to kno it altogether " . Stephen Owen suggest a third factor particular to Du Fu , arguing that the variety of the dat  wwrkrequired consideration of his whole life , rather den the " reductive " categorizations used fa more limited poets .