Li Po was a well known and one among the major poets of the China. He is considered as one among the greatest poet of the Tang Dynasty which is often called as China’s “Golden Age” of Chinese Poems.
Li Po is considered as a creative and prolific poet. He is well known for his extravagant imagination in his poetry. He was great traveler and traveled a lot due to his travel passion.
Li Po was born to a rich merchant. He was an extensive reader and has read great classics like “The Classic of Poetry” and the “Classic of History”. He was also engaged in other activities like sword play and taming wild birds. Later on, he was accomplished in martial arts also.
Li Po worked for the emperor of China and later when he left the court, he was wandering to many places for more than ten years and it was during that time that he wrote the maximum number of poems.
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Li Po was known as a skilled calligrapher; even though currently there is only one piece if Li Po’s work that exists in his own handwriting. This work is placed in the Palace of Beijing in China. Li had a strong sense in being a part of the poetic tradition. One important characteristic of Li`s poetry is the fantasy and note of a childlike behavior and playfulness that spread through so much of his poems.
Li Po is well known for his technical expertise of his poems and the mastery of his wordings. He was an alcoholic and most of his poems were written when he was drunk. His best poem show how he was connected with nature, friendship and about his acute observation, yielding in the best poems he has ever written.
“Alone looking at the Mountain” is a simple and short poem, that could be interpreted from many vie points. Here Po describes that birds are all free to fly as they are free and liberal in their actions and thoughts and could just keep flying around. And the clouds in the sky just float by in their own pace and choice and not in any hurry.
Po also states that, you never get tired of enjoying the beauty of nature, in any format. The nature has its own beauty and among that are the birds and the clouds and mountains.
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While being at the mountain, just being myself and the mountain is the best thing for solitude and strength. This could be viewed in another perspective also. He could be mentioning about his roots, which are as strong as a mountain and would be passed on also, unlike the birds and clouds, which are not in a particular base or a strong foundation, but keep wandering.
This is a short and simple poem having a strong depth in relationships and cultures that every generation passes on with.