Difference between revisions of "Li Bai" - New World Encyclopedia

From New World Encyclopedia
(Imported from wikipedia)
 
(Work complete)
Line 13: Line 13:
 
|}
 
|}
  
'''Li Bai''' or '''Li Po''' ([[701]]-[[762]]) was a [[List of Chinese language poets|Chinese poet]] who lived during the [[Tang Dynasty]].  
+
'''Li Bai''' or '''Li Po''' (701-762) was a Chinese poet who lived during the [[Tang Dynasty]]. Called the '''Poet Immortal''', Li Bai is often regarded, along with [[Du Fu]], as one of the two greatest poets in [[China]]'s literary history. Approximately 1,100 of his poems remain today. The Western world was introduced to Li Bai's works through the very liberal translations of [[Japanese language|Japanese]] versions of his poems made by [[Ezra Pound]].
  
His name was traditionally pronounced Li Bo or Li Po (depending on the romanisation), hence the familiar name Li Po by which he has long been known in the West. However, the use of the pronunciation 'bó' ([[pinyin]] romanisation), originally associated with the reading of [[Classical Chinese]], has largely disappeared in modern [[China]], partly as a result of [[language planning]] and [[standardisation]].  
+
Li Bai is best known for the extravagant imagination and striking [[Taoism|Taoist]] imagery in his poetry, as well as for his great love for liquor. (Many of his poems are about the comical and occasionally enlightening adventures of a wandering drunk.) Like [[Du Fu]], he spent much of his life travelling, although in his case it was because his wealth allowed him to, rather than because his poverty forced him. He is said to have drowned in the [[Yangtze River]], having fallen from his boat while drunkenly trying to embrace the reflection of the moon.
  
Called the '''Poet Immortal''', Li Bai is often regarded, along with [[Du Fu]], as one of the two greatest poets in [[China]]'s literary history. Approximately 1,100 of his poems remain today. The [[Western world]] was introduced to Li Bai's works through the very liberal [[translation]]s of [[Japanese language|Japanese]] versions of his poems made by [[Ezra Pound]].
+
Along with [[Du Fu]], Li Bai is the greatest poet of the Tang period. It is important to note, in assesing his poetry and the poetry of other Tang poets, that the Tang period was not just a time of prosperity; it was also one of the most unstable periods in Chinese history. The Empire of China was overstretched, and in the middle of Li Bai's career, it would suffer a violent rebellion that would ultimately lead to its downfall. During the 8th century, Li Bai was in the center of a civilization that was undergoing one of the most radical changes in its history. Hence, Li Bai, as a poet, is not just of value to us because of the beauty of his verse (which, as it was written in Classical Chinese, is available to most of us only in translation); he is also of tremendous importance because, in his poetry, we see the record of one of China's greatest minds in the middle of one of China's most interesting times.  
 
 
Li Bai is best known for the extravagant imagination and striking [[Taoism|Taoist]] imagery in his poetry, as well as for his great love for [[liquor]]. Like [[Du Fu]], he spent much of his life travelling, although in his case it was because his wealth allowed him to, rather than because his poverty forced him. He is said to have drowned in the [[Yangtze River]], having fallen from his boat while drunkenly trying to embrace the reflection of the moon.
 
  
 
== Biography ==
 
== Biography ==
Li Bai was the son of a rich merchant; his birthplace is uncertain, but one candidate is [[Suiye]] in [[Central Asia]] (near modern day [[Tokmok]], [[Kyrgyzstan]]). His family moved to [[Jiangyou]], near modern [[Chengdu]] in [[Sichuan]] province, when he was five years old. He was influenced by [[Confucianism|Confucian]] and [[Taoism|Taoist]] thought, but ultimately his family heritage did not provide him with much opportunity in the aristocratic Tang Dynasty. Though he expressed the wish to become an official, he did not sit for the [[Chinese civil service examination]]. Instead, beginning at age twenty-five, he travelled around China, enjoying wine and leading a carefree life -very much contrary to the prevailing ideas of a proper Confucian gentleman. His personality fascinated the aristocrats and common people alike and he was introduced to the Emperor [[Tang Xuanzong|Xuanzong]] around [[742]].
+
Li Bai was the son of a rich merchant; his birthplace is uncertain, but one candidate is Suiye in Central Asia (near modern day Tokmok, [[Kyrgyzstan]]). His family moved to Jiangyou, near modern Chengdu in Sichuan province, when he was five years old. He was influenced by [[Confucianism|Confucian]] and [[Taoism|Taoist]] thought, but ultimately his family heritage did not provide him with much opportunity in the aristocratic Tang Dynasty. Though he expressed the wish to become an official, he did not sit for the [[Chinese civil service examination]]. Instead, beginning at age twenty-five, he travelled around China, enjoying wine and leading a carefree life very much contrary to the prevailing ideas of a proper Confucian gentleman. His personality fascinated the aristocrats and common people alike and he was introduced to the Emperor Xuanzong around 742.
  
He was given a post at the [[Hanlin Academy]], which served to provide a source of scholarly expertise and poetry for the Emperor. Li Bai remained less than two years as a poet in the Emperor's service before he was dismissed for an unknown indiscretion. Thereafter he wandered throughout China for the rest of his life. He met [[Du Fu]] in the autumn of [[744]], and again the following year. These were the only occasions on which they met, but the friendship remained particularly important for the starstruck Du Fu (a dozen of his poems to or about Li Bai survive, compared to only one by Li Bai to Du Fu). At the time of the [[An Lushan Rebellion]] he became involved in a subsidiary revolt against the Emperor, although the extent to which this was voluntary is unclear. The failure of the rebellion resulted in his being exiled a second time, to [[Yelang]]. He was pardoned before the exile journey was complete.
+
He was given a post at the Hanlin Academy, which served to provide a source of scholarly expertise and poetry for the Emperor. Li Bai remained less than two years as a poet in the Emperor's service before he was dismissed for an unknown indiscretion. Thereafter he wandered throughout China for the rest of his life. He met [[Du Fu]] in the autumn of 744, and again the following year. These were the only occasions on which they met, but the friendship remained particularly important for the starstruck Du Fu (a dozen of his poems to or about Li Bai survive, compared to only one by Li Bai to Du Fu). At the time of the [[An Lushan Rebellion]] he became involved in a subsidiary revolt against the Emperor, although the extent to which this was voluntary is unclear. The failure of the rebellion resulted in his being exiled a second time, to Yelang. He was pardoned before the exile journey was complete.
  
Li Bai died in [[Dangtu]], or modern day [[Anhui]]. Traditionally he was said to have drowned attempting to catch the moon's reflection in a river; some scholars believe his death was the result of [[mercury (element)|mercury]] poisoning due to a long history of imbibing Taoist longevity [[elixir]]s while others believe that he died of [[alcohol poisoning]].
+
Li Bai died in Dangtu, or modern day Anhui. Traditionally he was said to have drowned attempting to catch the moon's reflection in a river; some scholars believe his death was the result of mercury poisoning due to a long history of imbibing Taoist longevity elixirs while others believe that he died of alcohol poisoning.
  
 
== Poetry ==  
 
== Poetry ==  
Over a thousand poems are attributed to him, but the authenticity of many of these is uncertain. He is best known for his ''[[yue fu]]'' poems, which are intense and often [[fantastic]]. He is often associated with [[Taoism]]: there is a strong element of this in his works, both in the sentiments they express and in their spontaneous tone. Nevertheless, his ''gufeng'' ("ancient airs") often adopt the perspective of the Confucian moralist, and many of his occasional verses are fairly conventional.  
+
Over a thousand poems are attributed to him, but the authenticity of many of these is uncertain. He is best known for his ''yue fu'' poems, which are intense and often fantastic. He is often associated with [[Taoism]]: there is a strong element of this in his works, both in the sentiments they express and in their spontaneous tone. Many of his greatest poems embody a Taoist aesthetic; the poems seem to rise effortlessly out of a handful of spare elements, creating a whole that is far greater than just the sum of its parts. At other times, Li Bai's poetry, particularly in the form known as ''gufeng'' are more [[Confucianism|Confucian]] both in tone and moralizing style. Other verses that have at least been collected under the name Li Bai are unremarkable and seem fairly conventional.  
  
Much like the genius of [[Mozart]] there exist many legends on how effortlessly Li Bai composed his poetry; he was said to be able to compose at an astounding speed, without correction. His favorite form is the ''jueju'' (five- or seven-character [[quatrain]]), of which he composed some 160 pieces. Li Bai's use of language is not as erudite as Du Fu's but impresses equally through an extravagance of imagination and a direct correlation of his free-spirited persona with the reader. Li Bai's interactions with nature, friendship, and his acute observations of life inform his best poems. Some, like ''Changgan xing'' (translated by [[Ezra Pound]] as ''A River Merchant's Wife: A Letter''), record the hardships or emotions of common people.
+
It is somewhat difficult to get a sense of Li Bai's oeuvre or his evolution as a poet due to the nature of Chinese poets in the Tang period. Li Bai, like most poets of his time, did not collect any of his poems in a book. Almost all of his poems are occasional verses—that is, they were wrtten on the spot for a given occasion such as a wedding or holiday—which, after being written, would be left in the possession of whomever the poem was written for. As a result of this, Li Bai's poetry was not collected in any cohesive form until after his death; a great deal of his poems may have been lost; and a good number of those that have been collected under his name may not be by him at all. 
 +
 
 +
Much like the genius of [[Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart|Mozart]] there exist many legends on how effortlessly Li Bai composed his poetry; he was said to be able to compose at an astounding speed, without correction. His favorite form is the ''jueju'' (five- or seven-character quatrain), of which he composed some 160 pieces. Li Bai's use of language is not as erudite as Du Fu's but impresses equally through an extravagance of imagination and a direct correlation of his free-spirited persona with the reader. Li Bai's interactions with nature, friendship, and his acute observations of life inform his best poems. Some, like ''Changgan xing'' (translated by [[Ezra Pound]] as ''A River Merchant's Wife: A Letter''), record the hardships or emotions of common people.
  
 
One of Li Bai's most famous poems is ''Drinking Alone under the Moon'' (月下獨酌, pinyin Yuè Xià Dú Zhuó), which is a good example of some of the most famous aspects of his poetry — a very spontaneous poem, full of natural imagery and [[anthropomorphism]]:
 
One of Li Bai's most famous poems is ''Drinking Alone under the Moon'' (月下獨酌, pinyin Yuè Xià Dú Zhuó), which is a good example of some of the most famous aspects of his poetry — a very spontaneous poem, full of natural imagery and [[anthropomorphism]]:
Line 55: Line 55:
 
== Influence ==  
 
== Influence ==  
  
Li Bai is known in the West partly due to [[Ezra Pound]]'s versions of some of his poems in ''Cathay'', and due to [[Gustav Mahler]]'s integration of four of his works in ''[[Das Lied von der Erde]]''. These were in a German translation by [[Hans Bethge]], published in an anthology called ''Die chinesische Flöte'' (''The Chinese Flute''), that in turn followed a French translation.   
+
Li Bai is known in the West partly due to [[Ezra Pound]]'s versions of some of his poems in ''Cathay'', and due to [[Gustav Mahler]]'s integration of four of his works in ''Das Lied von der Erde''. These were in a German translation by [[Hans Bethge]], published in an anthology called ''Die chinesische Flöte'' (''The Chinese Flute''), that in turn followed a French translation.   
  
 
A crater on the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] has been named after him.
 
A crater on the planet [[Mercury (planet)|Mercury]] has been named after him.
Line 63: Line 63:
  
 
==External links==
 
==External links==
{{wikiquote}}
+
 
  
 
*[http://dmoz.org/Arts/Literature/Authors/L/Li_Bai/ Open Directory Project category]
 
*[http://dmoz.org/Arts/Literature/Authors/L/Li_Bai/ Open Directory Project category]
 
*[http://www.poetseers.org/the_great_poets/li_po/li/ Li Po Poems,] illustrated with Nature Photos
 
*[http://www.poetseers.org/the_great_poets/li_po/li/ Li Po Poems,] illustrated with Nature Photos
*[http://afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=Tangshi&no=-1&auteur=Li_Bai Li Bai's poems] included in ''300 Selected Tang poems'', translated by [[Witter Bynner]].
+
*[http://afpc.asso.fr/wengu/wg/wengu.php?l=Tangshi&no=-1&auteur=Li_Bai Li Bai's poems] included in ''300 Selected Tang poems'', translated by Witter Bynner.
<!--
 
*fill in pinyin for names above—>
 
  
 
[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
[[Category:Art, music, literature, sports and leisure]]
 
{{credit|49803589}}
 
{{credit|49803589}}

Revision as of 16:24, 1 May 2006

Names
Chinese: 李白
Pinyin: Lǐ Bó or Lǐ Bái
Wade-Giles: Li Po or Li Pai
Also known as: Poet Immortal
(Shīxiān, 詩仙)
Li Bai Chanting a Poem by Liang Kai (13th century)

Li Bai or Li Po (701-762) was a Chinese poet who lived during the Tang Dynasty. Called the Poet Immortal, Li Bai is often regarded, along with Du Fu, as one of the two greatest poets in China's literary history. Approximately 1,100 of his poems remain today. The Western world was introduced to Li Bai's works through the very liberal translations of Japanese versions of his poems made by Ezra Pound.

Li Bai is best known for the extravagant imagination and striking Taoist imagery in his poetry, as well as for his great love for liquor. (Many of his poems are about the comical and occasionally enlightening adventures of a wandering drunk.) Like Du Fu, he spent much of his life travelling, although in his case it was because his wealth allowed him to, rather than because his poverty forced him. He is said to have drowned in the Yangtze River, having fallen from his boat while drunkenly trying to embrace the reflection of the moon.

Along with Du Fu, Li Bai is the greatest poet of the Tang period. It is important to note, in assesing his poetry and the poetry of other Tang poets, that the Tang period was not just a time of prosperity; it was also one of the most unstable periods in Chinese history. The Empire of China was overstretched, and in the middle of Li Bai's career, it would suffer a violent rebellion that would ultimately lead to its downfall. During the 8th century, Li Bai was in the center of a civilization that was undergoing one of the most radical changes in its history. Hence, Li Bai, as a poet, is not just of value to us because of the beauty of his verse (which, as it was written in Classical Chinese, is available to most of us only in translation); he is also of tremendous importance because, in his poetry, we see the record of one of China's greatest minds in the middle of one of China's most interesting times.

Biography

Li Bai was the son of a rich merchant; his birthplace is uncertain, but one candidate is Suiye in Central Asia (near modern day Tokmok, Kyrgyzstan). His family moved to Jiangyou, near modern Chengdu in Sichuan province, when he was five years old. He was influenced by Confucian and Taoist thought, but ultimately his family heritage did not provide him with much opportunity in the aristocratic Tang Dynasty. Though he expressed the wish to become an official, he did not sit for the Chinese civil service examination. Instead, beginning at age twenty-five, he travelled around China, enjoying wine and leading a carefree life very much contrary to the prevailing ideas of a proper Confucian gentleman. His personality fascinated the aristocrats and common people alike and he was introduced to the Emperor Xuanzong around 742.

He was given a post at the Hanlin Academy, which served to provide a source of scholarly expertise and poetry for the Emperor. Li Bai remained less than two years as a poet in the Emperor's service before he was dismissed for an unknown indiscretion. Thereafter he wandered throughout China for the rest of his life. He met Du Fu in the autumn of 744, and again the following year. These were the only occasions on which they met, but the friendship remained particularly important for the starstruck Du Fu (a dozen of his poems to or about Li Bai survive, compared to only one by Li Bai to Du Fu). At the time of the An Lushan Rebellion he became involved in a subsidiary revolt against the Emperor, although the extent to which this was voluntary is unclear. The failure of the rebellion resulted in his being exiled a second time, to Yelang. He was pardoned before the exile journey was complete.

Li Bai died in Dangtu, or modern day Anhui. Traditionally he was said to have drowned attempting to catch the moon's reflection in a river; some scholars believe his death was the result of mercury poisoning due to a long history of imbibing Taoist longevity elixirs while others believe that he died of alcohol poisoning.

Poetry

Over a thousand poems are attributed to him, but the authenticity of many of these is uncertain. He is best known for his yue fu poems, which are intense and often fantastic. He is often associated with Taoism: there is a strong element of this in his works, both in the sentiments they express and in their spontaneous tone. Many of his greatest poems embody a Taoist aesthetic; the poems seem to rise effortlessly out of a handful of spare elements, creating a whole that is far greater than just the sum of its parts. At other times, Li Bai's poetry, particularly in the form known as gufeng are more Confucian both in tone and moralizing style. Other verses that have at least been collected under the name Li Bai are unremarkable and seem fairly conventional.

It is somewhat difficult to get a sense of Li Bai's oeuvre or his evolution as a poet due to the nature of Chinese poets in the Tang period. Li Bai, like most poets of his time, did not collect any of his poems in a book. Almost all of his poems are occasional verses—that is, they were wrtten on the spot for a given occasion such as a wedding or holiday—which, after being written, would be left in the possession of whomever the poem was written for. As a result of this, Li Bai's poetry was not collected in any cohesive form until after his death; a great deal of his poems may have been lost; and a good number of those that have been collected under his name may not be by him at all.

Much like the genius of Mozart there exist many legends on how effortlessly Li Bai composed his poetry; he was said to be able to compose at an astounding speed, without correction. His favorite form is the jueju (five- or seven-character quatrain), of which he composed some 160 pieces. Li Bai's use of language is not as erudite as Du Fu's but impresses equally through an extravagance of imagination and a direct correlation of his free-spirited persona with the reader. Li Bai's interactions with nature, friendship, and his acute observations of life inform his best poems. Some, like Changgan xing (translated by Ezra Pound as A River Merchant's Wife: A Letter), record the hardships or emotions of common people.

One of Li Bai's most famous poems is Drinking Alone under the Moon (月下獨酌, pinyin Yuè Xià Dú Zhuó), which is a good example of some of the most famous aspects of his poetry — a very spontaneous poem, full of natural imagery and anthropomorphism:

Amongst the flowers is a pot of wine
I pour alone but with no friend at hand
So I lift the cup to invite the shining moon,
Along with my shadow we become party of three
The moon although understands none of drinking, and
The shadow just follows my body vainly
Still I make the moon and the shadow my company
To enjoy the springtime before too late
The moon lingers while I am singing
The shadow scatters while I am dancing
We cheer in delight when being awake
We separate apart after getting drunk
Forever will we keep this unfettered friendship
Till we meet again far in the Milky Way

Influence

Li Bai is known in the West partly due to Ezra Pound's versions of some of his poems in Cathay, and due to Gustav Mahler's integration of four of his works in Das Lied von der Erde. These were in a German translation by Hans Bethge, published in an anthology called Die chinesische Flöte (The Chinese Flute), that in turn followed a French translation.

A crater on the planet Mercury has been named after him.

Reference

  • A History of World Societies Fourth Edition by McKay Hill Buckler. Copyright Houghton Mifflin 1999. Pg. 328-329.

External links

Credits

New World Encyclopedia writers and editors rewrote and completed the Wikipedia article in accordance with New World Encyclopedia standards. This article abides by terms of the Creative Commons CC-by-sa 3.0 License (CC-by-sa), which may be used and disseminated with proper attribution. Credit is due under the terms of this license that can reference both the New World Encyclopedia contributors and the selfless volunteer contributors of the Wikimedia Foundation. To cite this article click here for a list of acceptable citing formats.The history of earlier contributions by wikipedians is accessible to researchers here:

The history of this article since it was imported to New World Encyclopedia:

Note: Some restrictions may apply to use of individual images which are separately licensed.