Lin 1

Edward Lin
Gifted English 10
Li Bai (Li Po)
23 May, 2014
4th Quarter IRP
Poet Biography
Li Bais birth is accepted by most to have taken place in Chu, Kazakhstan, in the year
701 A.D. However, another popular belief was that he was born in Suiye. He lived his early
years in the province of Szechuan, and soon became a skilled martial artist. In his twenties, he
left home and led a carefree life of liquor and travelling (Li Bai.). This was against the
common conception of a Gentleman in Confucian thought. However, since he was a Taoist,
this posed no issue. He simply took whatever influence he could find, and used it to its fullest.
He often used the beauty of nature as inspiration, reflecting his Taoist roots. ("Li Bai, The
Romantic Poet of Tang Dynasty."). He married the grand-daughter of a past ruler, and met and
influenced many famous people through his poetry, including Du Fu, another famous poet with a
similar writing style. After travelling around China and meeting with the emperor, he settled in
the prestigious position of making poetry for the ruler of China. However, after a revolt broke
out, he was exiled for helping the rebels. A close friend in the military, however, helped to
revoke the exile. His death, most likely from his lifestyle of drinking, was even romanticized,
and the cause was changed. Even now, many believe his death was due to his attempt to grasp
the moons reflection on a lake (Li Bai.).
Historical Context
Li Bai fits very snugly into the time period of the Tang Dynasty in China. His Taoist
Lin 2

ways were unconventional in the eyes of a Confucian, but were acceptable to Taoist thinkers,
since an emphasis on nature was almost always in Li Bais poems. His major works often
reflected themes found in Taoism, like metacognition, nature, and loneliness. For example, his
most famous work, Thoughts on a Still Night uses the moon and the stillness of night to set the
mood, allowing him to express his thoughts of isolation from home. (Li Bai English
Translations.). His historical impact reaches into the mind of the emperor, since Li Bai was a
friend and advisor to the emperor of the Tang Dynasty. As an advisor, he influenced many
decisions of the emperor, what was then considered as a highly honorable position. This made
him very famous, allowing his poems to be spread all over China.
Style
Li Bais style of writing was actually devised by himself through his drinking habits,
and changed the norm of Chinese poetry. He often wrote while inebriated, and because of this,
he wrote with a free spirit and a remarkably clear lyric voice (The Poems of Li Bai.). His
poetry is also very flowing when pronounced clearly in the Chinese language. This trait is lost
through translation, and with it, the sense of effortlessness that is so important in his poems. It
was this effortlessness that come out of his poems that made him into a renowned genius in
poetry. There is a very specific meter to his poems, and without this rhythm, the poem changes
significantly, and can sound choppy. Later in life, he writes in times of struggle and strife,
changing his style to contain a tone that is more lonely and thoughtful, yet keeping that light
effortlessness. (The Poems of Li Bai.).
Poem One Analysis (Jing Ye Si/ Thoughts on a Still Night)
This poem is one of Li Bais most famous poem, used in many Chinese textbooks not
only because of its simplicity, but also due to its deeper meaning. It only contains four lines, yet
Lin 3

each line conveys a message that can be expanded into an entire paragraph. He begins by stating
that before my bed, the moon is shining bright (Bai 1). Of course, it is evident that he is simply
defining the light at his bed, the source being the moon; however, in Chinese culture, the moon is
representative of time, like in the lunar calendar. To the Chinese, time is circular. Events will
repeat each year in a specific order, like the many seasons on the Chinese calendar. For Li Bai, it
means that the moons light symbolizes a return to loneliness. The next line adds more to this,
and links it to the nature around him. He states that I think it is frost upon the ground. (Bai 2).
He compares the moonlight to winter frost, a part of nature that only really appears in one or two
short Chinese seasons. This brings him back to his Taoist roots, giving meaning to the nature
around him, and expressing his hermit-like emotions. Again, the Chinese version offers more.
The word used for think or to doubt are one in the same. So, in a way, it is almost as if he
doubts that this frost is actually fake, and adds realism to the frost on the ground, like the
coldness of being alone. A possibility of a pun also exists in this line. The word for pair and
frost sound exactly alike, yet are written differently. The irony exists in the fact that Li Bai is
not with anyone, and is suffering from loneliness. The next two lines build on his loneliness even
more, even turning it into a feeling of isolation.
Li Bai creates this isolation by stating, I raise my head and look at the bright moon, / I
lower my head and think of home. (Bai 3-4). His moon gazing points to a type of link between
where he is now and his homeland. The moon is always the same, no matter where one goes. By
looking at the moon, Li Bai is creating a feeling of reminiscence. He then lowers his head to
remember the sights, smells, and sounds of his home. The act of lowering the head also is a type
of humbling, as if he bows to his emotions. The word choice that he makes in his native language
also points to a very intense type of gaze when he looks up. It is not simply a shallow look, but
Lin 4

rather a distant and intent gaze. When he lowers his head to think, the word that is used is usually
used in harmony with the word for miss. His specific choice for think actually points
towards a feeling of missing his home, something quite strange, considering his nomadic
lifestyle. All of these traits combine to form a feeling of isolation a feeling that Li Bai is
completely alone, as if his home were on a faraway island only reachable by an endless sea of
remorse.
Poem Two Analysis (Zi Qian/ Amusing Myself)
In this second poem, Li Bai writes with a more positive note, but still very deeply. His
title in itself already instills, yet again, a sense of being alone, something not uncommon in
Taoist thought. However, this type of loneliness does not have any negative connotation. It is
instead simply a relaxed and laid back feeling. The first line of the poem shows that Li Bai, in his
relaxation, has lost track of time, staring into his wine. The use of Chinese character for feel
rather than see makes the statement that Li Bai was in a state of daydreaming, and did not
sense that the air grew colder, or that the lighting became darker. What we see in this line is that
he is living the relaxed life that he is so accustomed to. In his second line, he states that fallen
blossoms have filled the folds of my clothes (Bai 2). In fact, the Chinese text only states that
blossoms have fallen on his clothes. There is no mention of folds in his garments, meaning that it
is not the folds of his clothes that are filled, but rather his entire body is blanketed with a layer of
flowers, since the word fill is usually used with the word for full, implying that his clothes
are full of flowers. This shows how long Li Bai has been sitting in a motionless state, in harmony
with his surroundings, since the petals of blossoms take a long time to fall. He uses this
description of his surroundings to set the stage for his actions in the second half of the poem.
Lin 5

In the second half of his poem, Li Bai approaches the reflection of the moon in the water.
Perhaps this is where people received the romanticized version of his death, because after he
describes his drunken steps towards the stream, he again becomes encased in his own world,
filled with wonder at the moons reflection. His trance-like state can be seen when he describes
his surroundings with detachment, saying that Birds are far off, people too are few (Bai 4).
However, in using the word for few, he also adds an implied meaning. This implied meaning is
the same as how one would describe a few scattered grains of rice on a floor, or the scattered
remains of bird feed after the birds have already passed by. It adds a feeling that no one is paying
attention to Li Bai, giving the familiar feeling of separation and isolation.

Lin 6

Works Cited
Bai, Li. "Amusing Myself." Chinese Poems. Web. 20 May, 2014. <"http://www.chinese-
poems.com/lb14.html>.
Bai, Li. "Thoughts on a Still Night". Chinese Poems. Web. 20 May, 2014. <http://www.chinese-
poems.com/lb4.html>.
"Li Bai, The Romantic Poet of Tang Dynasty." Confucius Institute Online. Confucius Institute,
2009. Web. 20 May 2014. <http://people.chinese.cn/en/article/2009-
10/10/content_70926.htm>.
"Li Bai." Totally History. Totallyhistory.com, 2012. Web. 20 May 2014.
<http://totallyhistory.com/li-bai/>.
"The Poems of Li Bai." Tang Spirit Network. Sydicateme.net, 2007. Web. 21 May 2014.
<http://www.tangspirit.net/libai-dufu.html>.