Li Bai
701–762 · Chinese (Tang Dynasty) · Tang Dynasty China
Known for: One of China's two greatest poets, the 'Immortal of Poetry'—master of romantic, spontaneous verse
Li Bai was the most flamboyant, free-spirited, and beloved poet in Chinese history. Known as the 'Immortal of Poetry,' he wandered China as a Taoist-influenced vagabond, drinking prodigiously, writing spontaneously, and befriending emperors and farmers alike. He claimed descent from the imperial family but was possibly born in Central Asia.
He was briefly appointed to the imperial court under Emperor Xuanzong but was too wild to last. Legend says he drowned trying to embrace the moon's reflection while drunk in a boat—a death so perfectly poetic it may well be apocryphal. His poetry is characterized by imaginative grandeur, emotional directness, and supernatural imagery.
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