An Investigation into the Origin of Fu: a study on the referents of "One can compose Fu when reaching heights" and "Blind Fu"

Critics of all ages have believed that the Fu in Sheng Gao Neng Fu(One can compose Fu when reaching heights) and Sou Fu(Blind Fu) in The Mao School on the Study of The Book of Songs both refers to the composition of poetry.This article,by examining the literary development from the oral creation to written composition in the pre-Qin era,argues that the Fu in the above two quotations very probably refers to the rhymed prose of oral creation of the early period.It could be inferred therefrom that the genre of Fu had already existed before Xun and Song.