The Yellow River flows from the heavens above

Author: Lin Donghai
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 2003-09-01
Features: Li Bai (701–762), styled Taibai, was one of the most outstanding poets of the High Tang and also a great romantic poet in the history of Chinese literature following Qu Yuan. He was renowned as the "Poet Immortal." Li Bai experienced a tumultuous life with complex thoughts. He was not only a genius poet but also possessed the qualities of a knight-errant, assassin, hermit, Taoist, and strategist. The philosophies of Confucianism, Taoism, and knight-errantry were all reflected in him. "Retiring after achieving success" was the dominant ideology that governed his life. Li Bai left behind over 900 poems for posterity. These brilliant works depict his life's journey and serve as an artistic portrayal of the social reality and spiritual life of the High Tang. Li Bai harbored grand ambitions throughout his life and openly expressed his yearning for fame and achievement. Poems such as "Liangfu Yin," "Reading the Biography of Zhuge Liang Wuhou," and "Writing to Cai She Ren Xiong" vividly showcase this desire. From a young age, Li Bai loved the life of a knight-errant and wrote many poems on the subject, with "The Knight-Errant" being a representative work. His three years in Chang'an had a profound impact on his creativity. His political ideals clashed sharply with the dark reality, filling him with indescribable sorrow and indignation. Out of anger, he wrote many famous poems, such as "The Hard Road," "Ancient Style," and "In Response to Wang Er's Solitary Drinking at Night," which reflect his longing for the past, his sorrowful reflection on his own fate, and his unrelenting grief. Li Bai spent much of his life wandering, traveling across many famous mountains and rivers in the country, writing numerous beautiful poems praising the great landscapes of his homeland to express his passion for freedom and his desire for liberation. In these poems, the (rare and perilous) landscapes perfectly align with his rebellious and unrestrained personality. This type of poetry constitutes a significant portion of Li Bai's works and has been passed down through generations. Among them, "Dream Journey to Mount Tianmu and Farewell" is the most outstanding representative. With unrestrained and joyful brushwork, the poet let his imagination soar freely, depicting various spiritual adventures and pursuits. In dreams, his troubled and melancholic soul found true liberation. The line "How can I bow my head and serve the powerful, losing my joy?" further reveals the poet's unyielding spirit, becoming an important benchmark for later generations to examine Li Bai's great character.