The Poet Li Bai of Taoist Faith and His Suffering: New Century Universal Library · Modern Culture Series

Author: Li Changzhi
Publisher:
Publishing Date: 1998-01-01
Features: "The Poet Li Bai and His Suffering as a Taoist" is not a lengthy work, but it is a comprehensive study of the poet Li Bai, covering aspects of his political life, intellectual inclinations, and literary creations. It contains many insightful observations and offers detailed discussions on specific topics. For instance, it uses two chapters to outline Li Bai's pursuit of immortality and his close relationship with Taoist thought, and it dedicates a chapter to exploring the poetic lineage between Xie and Li Bai—both of which were topics that were previously vague and later became subjects of interest among scholars. At least Guo Moruo's "Li Bai and Du Fu" included a section titled "Li Bai's Taoist Superstition and Awakening." The book particularly emphasizes Li Bai's romantic spirit. On one hand, his madness and dreams, his loneliness and suffering, and his profound love are indeed the vivid manifestations of the poet's life; on the other hand, they are also, to some extent, the author's subjective embellishments. The author had close interactions with Professor Yang Bingchen at Tsinghua University and was deeply immersed in German romantic aesthetics from Kant to Nietzsche and the concept of the genius. His graduation thesis was even titled "Kant." When he edited the literary supplement of Tianjin's "Yishi Daily" in 1935, he was already an advocate of the "ism." The influence of Western learning extended not only to ideas but also to the writing style of the book. The author took inspiration from "excellent foreign critical writing" as a model, aiming for "intimacy" and "naturalness," while also maintaining "sharp perspective and thought-provoking wit" (Preface). Compared to "The Personality and Style of Sima Qian," this book may lack the same level of rigor and meticulousness, but it is more passionate: there is scholarship here, but what stands out even more is talent. It can be said that this book is the crystallization of the author's soul and the poet's life, and this intersection lies in the poet's verses. Therefore, in the Preface, the author urges readers: "Pay special attention to the poems." After all, "immersing oneself in the poet's world" is the most important quality of genuine literary criticism.