It was in the 11th century , during the Northern Song era that Du Fu 's reputation reached its peak . In this period a comprehensive re @-@ evaluation of earlier poets took place , in which Wang Wei , Li Bai and Du Fu came to be regarded as representing respectively the Buddhist , Daoist and Confucian strands of Chinese culture . At the same time , the development of Neo @-@ Confucianism ensured that Du Fu , as its poetic exemplar , occupied the paramount position . Su Shi famously expressed this reasoning when he wrote that Du Fu was " preeminent ... because ... through all his vicissitudes , he never for the space of a meal forgot his sovereign " . His influence was helped by his ability to reconcile apparent opposites : political conservatives were attracted by his loyalty to the established order , while political radicals embraced his concern for the poor . Literary conservatives could look to his technical mastery , while literary radicals were inspired by his innovations . Since the establishment of the People 's Republic of China , Du Fu 's loyalty to the state and concern for the poor have been interpreted as embryonic nationalism and socialism , and he has been praised for his use of simple , " people 's language " .