Li Bai's Influence

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Li Bai’s Influence

Poets were very prevalent in ancient China. Their poems often included vivid imagery of the land, romance, and praising of their leaders (“Chinese Poetry”). One of the most famous poets was Li Bai. Li Bai was also known as Li Po (“Li Bai”). Li Bai is now considered one of the greatest of the ancient Chinese poets, if not the greatest. Beginning at an early age, Li Bai had a deep love for words (“Biography of Li Bai”). When he grew up, he became a “wandering poet” (“Li Bai”). As a wandering poet, he got to meet a lot of people; eventually he became a very influential person in the Tang Dynasty. His influence would continue all the way to modern times. People often wonder what contributes to the influence a poet has on his or her community. For Li Bai, it was his love for travelling, his political positions, and his celebrity status which helped to increase the influence of his poems on everyday life in ancient China.

Li Bai’s frequent travelling greatly increased his influence. Li Bai would constantly travel somewhere, settle, and then travel again. “In 725, when he was twenty-five years old, Li Bai sailed down the Yangtze River all the way to Weiyang (Yangzhou) and Jinling (Nanjing)” (“Li Bai, famous Tang Dynasty Poet”). He continued to wander around visiting many mountains and rivers, which he describes quite often in his poetry. He describes them very descriptively and beautifully. For example, in his poem “Reverence-Pavilion Mountain, Sitting Alone,” he

describes the emptiness of the scenery; “this mountain and I gaze at each other, it alone remaining.” (Hinton, David. Selected Poems Li Po”). As a seasoned traveler, his poems traveled with him throughout many lands. In addition, word of his talent spre...

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..., Li Bai was able to exert great influence over people in his own time. Indeed, he still continues to influence people even today.

Works Cited

"Biography of Li Bai." Biography of Li Bai. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. .

Chen, Zu-yan. Li Bai & Du Fu: An Advanced Reader of Chinese Language and Literature =. Boston: Cheng & Tsui, 2008. Print.

"Classical Chinese Poetry." Classical Chinese Poetry. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. .

"Li Bai." ChinaHighlights. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. .

Li, Bai, and David Hinton. The Selected Poems of Li Po. New York: New Directions Pub., 1996. Print.

Po, The Biography of Li. "The Biography of Li Po." Poemhunter.com. Web. 21 Apr. 2014. .

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