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“Drinking Alone under the Moon”

Li Bai is considered one of the greatest Chinese poets. His poetry style is understood to be

popular among Chinese nationals. Li Bai lived during the 16th century, a period termed as the

golden era. Li Bai used great details when composing his poems, which gave his readers a more

in-depth insight into his culture. Regardless of the time aspect, Li Bai's poetry plays a

fundamental role in the Chinese and the entire world's culture. Having lived during the hard years

coupled with unequal treatment, experienced by the Chinese, Li Bai uses his poems to inform

them of ways in which they can express their views and frustrations. Therefore in this essay, I

will analyze "Drinking Alone under the Moon" by Li Bai to show how he uses this poem to

portray the culture and what the poet illuminates particular information about that specific

culture.

The poem's title is an illustration that Li Bai wrote the poem in an attempt to define both his

specific traits and the features of the Taoism beliefs. From a cultural argument perspective, one

can denote that the work "Drinking Alone under the Moon" exemplifies how wine was

outstanding in the traditional Chinese culture. It is said that in Tao culture, the Chinese nationals

were of the view that consumption of wine as the unrivaled collection to put together a persons'

mind, thus allowing them to precisely express their unbiased point of view. Although the

drinking of wine could be personal, in the Tao culture, public consumption of the wine was

mostly encouraged. It is argued that consuming wine alone in Tao culture is a grave mistake
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when people view this perspective from their level. This is evident when Li Bai, in his poem,

"Drinking Alone under the Moon," he chooses to construct his associates when taking his wine to

conform to the Tao culture requirement. He uses the moon and his own shadow. Li Bai says, "I

asked the bright moon. To bring me my shadow and make us three." (Bai, line 5) Nonetheless,

the moon and the shadow are portrayed to be unenthusiastic associates. This incident allows the

audience to interpret the poets' situation as misery and deep-seated loneliness because the poet's

companions both the moon and the shadow could not drink the wine with him.

It is known through the history of the Chinese beliefs that the culture of consuming wine among

ancient Chinese folks only happened during the individual congregations. These occasions were

distinctively identified for that particular drive. Wine taking, however, could also occur in any

other assembly, particularly where folks met to share their thoughts and emotional states. After Li

Bai used his poem to show that he had taken wine alone because his companions could not make

it, the Chinese nations started consuming wine in any gathering, not only the special occasions.

The poet successfully illuminates the divinity aspect of Chinese culture. Through his "Drinking

Alone under the Moon," Li Bai explains that the ancient Chinese nationals who believed that

natural landscapes, for example, the mountains and rivers, actually were shown to be

commanding some natural forces and influences. This notion affirmed the belief that humans

were not allowed to associate or involve themselves with such natural resources. Humans were

also required to show respect to these resources. Li Bai is shown to have an intimate conversation

with the moon in a similar manner that a person can have with a close associate. He drinks at the

feast of the planets and rides on the appendages of comets. For example, in this particular

instance, the poet explains that the night did not present him with a friend to drink the bottle of

wine with. However, he manages to improvise immediately to have a bantam party with three
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guests, the moon, his shadow, and himself. This active drinking session looks to have a future as

it concludes with an appointment for another party the following spring, in the Milky Way.

Throughout the poem, Li Bai finds himself in a problematic state of solitude. This condition

facilitates incidents of grief and sorrow. Li Bai tries to find coziness and solace in the

consumption wine and seeking to get a companion from the moon and his shadow while he is

swayed by their happiness, solitude, and sorrow.

One can thereby affirm in general terms, that's Li Bai uses the poem "Drinking Alone under the

Moon," to debunk the old culture of consuming wine amidst other people and special occasions

amongst the Chinese. His taking wine in the companion of his shadow and the moon shows that

this culture has no basis. Taking wine allows one to open up and express himself or herself freely.

This poem establishes the vital characteristics of Chinese poetry: the original appearance of

oneself and cultural practices.

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Work Cited

Li, Bo, and Jerome P. Seaton. Bright Moon, White Clouds: Selected Poems of Li Po. Boston:

Shambhala, 2012. Print.