Li Bai wrote “Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon” in 774AD when he stayed in Chang’an, which is the capital of the Tang Dynasty. In this time, Li Bai would like to achieve his ambitions. Because of his deceit and jealousy, and because his mistrusted Li Bai, Emperor Tang Ming Huang did not put him in an important position, for the emperor did not trust him. For this reason, Li Bai felt lonely, depressed and discontented. Moreover, one of his best friends, Zhizhang He, returned home several months ago, which made Li felt lonelier. And after he wrote this poem, Li also left Chang’an. Li expressed silence in terms of loneliness, using the moon to depict silence. The moon is the significant subject for Li, much like the mirror is for Crane. Li gives the moon rich feelings, which is an important philosophical theory, Imagism. Imagism is a literature movement in the early 20th century: "The only well-organized movement in English poetry since the days of the pre-Raphaelite Brotherhood," Imagism is likely "to command serious consideration from all literary historians of the future,” according to Professor Glenn Hughes. ()
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What is Imagism? Briefly, Imagism uses specific subjects to express abstract meanings. In “Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon,” Li Bai gives the moon four meanings. In one, the moon expresses dejection and loneliness; in the other, the moon can represents Li’s sprit world. The last two meanings are the thinking of eterning and the pursuit of
What is Imagism? Briefly, Imagism uses specific subjects to express abstract meanings. In “Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon,” Li Bai gives the moon four meanings. In one, the moon expresses dejection and loneliness; in the other, the moon can represents Li’s sprit world. The last two meanings are the thinking of eterning and the pursuit of