Chinese Famous Poet Li Bai (Also Known as Li Po) (Essay Sample)

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Li Bai, who was also known as Li Po, was a Chinese famous poet who lived during the sixth century. His poetry work is still famous in the Chinese culture and across the globe. Having lived through tough times where unfair treatment was common among Chinese, Li Bai poems inspired people to learn how to express their thoughts (Li 55). In this perspective, an individual was able to find comfort in their lives and indulge in acts that are satisfying and of help to the society. This paper analyses Li Bai poem Drinking alone with the moon to capture the cultural picture the poet was trying to portray.
As it is observable in the poem's title, Li Bai wrote this poem to reveal both his personal traits and characteristics of Taoism culture. From a cultural perspective, the poem shows how exceptional wine was in ancient Chinese culture. In the Tao culture, individuals perceived drinking of wine as the best option to compose one’s mind and express their thoughts. Drinking of wine was also a common practice during social gatherings where people exchanged ideas and their feelings on different subjects (Li 72). This aligns with the theme of freedom and autonomy, which was an essential pillar of Li Bai’s poetry work. Li Bai perceived freedom as a key to bring change in the then society. Li Bai was also trying to elaborate on the aspect of oneness (dancing with his shadow) which is highly valued in the Chinese culture.
The reason I choose to discuss Li Bai's Drinking Alone with the Moon is because the poem does not only help me understand the ancient Chinese culture, but also the personal traits of Li Bai as a poet. For instance, the poem reveals Li Bai as a devotee of nature. He believes people and nature are one. This is observed by his kind gestures of inviting the moon to sip his wine as a companion. Nature is portrayed as an important factor in life which can provide answers to all secrets such as overcoming solitary experience (Li 47). The poem also reveals Li Bai as an individual whose thoughts conflict in advocating for single life versus serenity. The poet appears to prefer enjoying his wine alone in the moonlight in a serene environment. However, Li Bai still craves of having a companionship which is a universal desire for humanity.
One of the strong points about this poetry analysis essay is that it does not only reveal the theme of the poem, but also identify and elaborates traits of the poe...