A Night With A Friend By Li Bai Analysis

Li Bais poems tend to be backwards looking. The revival of the past and the „fulfillment of past promises“ is a common theme in his poems. One nod to the past is his interest in the old Chuci poems which also features supernatural phenomena. The Chuci also focuses on rare animals and plants which were believed to prolong ones life or induce trance. CL124 Which is comparable to taosit alchemy which has a similar approach. In general Li Bai was fond of many styles but also idulged in the old gu shi (古诗) style, which featured irregular lines, unlimited length, no verbal parallelism and freedom from compulsory tones that allowed his poems to get an ecstatic feel. This kind of freedom could also be seen as a link to his interest Taoism, which also features the concepts of ultimate freedom. Li Bai‘s poem „Hard Roads to Shu“ embody the bumpy roads and high peaks of Sichuan with their irregular verse length. This kind of playfullness …show more content…
Dousing clean a thousand old cares, sticking it out through a hundred pots of wine, a hood night needing the best of conversation, a brilliant moon that will not let us …show more content…
At last the poem “Climbing T‘ai-po‘s Peak“ will be analyzed in regards of Li Bai‘s quest for immortality.

To the west I ascend the peak of Grand White - In dusky sunlight finish with my scrambling and climbing. Grand White grants to me a colloquy, And for my sake opens up the Barriers of Heaven! I will mount the cooling wind and be gone - Breaking straight out through the floating clouds. Lifting my hand, I may draw near the moon, Proceeding onwards, as if there is no mountain now! Once parted and gone away from Wu-kung, What time would I come back here again? (Kroll, 1986) IX