Li Bai

I am also known as Li Po.

Welcome to my page, for I am about to bring you on an incredible journey through my life, my works,and my immortality.

Let us begin!

Life

A painting of me.

I was born in the year 701. Where, you ask? This has been a controversy for more than a millennium. While where I was born is not entirely known, the brashness and bravado of my poetic voice are characteristics of poets from this region (Wu 66). There are theories that I could have been of Turkish decent. I am probably from a mercantile family (Eide 370).

My family dwelt in what is now Gansu. Evidence suggests that my family was banished during the Sui Dynasty, (due to a crime) and thus moved from Gansu. In 705 my family secretly moved to beautiful Sichuan (famous for its gigantic mountains and wonderful natural scenery), where I spent my childhood (Wu 57).

I read everything! Of course I read the Confucian Classics, but I also read things normal scholars abstained from, such as astrological and metaphysical texts (Eide 373).

In 761, Du Fu wrote this particular poem about me: (Wu 58)

I have not seen Li Po for a long time--

What a pitiable man with his feigned madness!
All the world wants to kill him:
I alone dote on his genius.
Quick-witted, he has hit off a thousand poems;
A waif in the world, his only home is in a cup of wine.
O my friend! 'Tis time to return to Ku'ang Shan,

Where you used to read books with such gusto.

From this we can gather I used to study books in Ku'ang Shan, a mountain lying near the city of Chengtu.

I enjoyed taming birds and sword play. I was quite proficient in martial arts.
By the time I was twenty, I had killed with my own hands several persons for chivalrous causes. (Author's note: Take that with a lump of salt. Could not be confirmed elsewhere). (Wu 58)

“When I was fifteen, I was fond of sword play, and with that art I challenged quite a few great men.” -- Li Bai [Wu 58]

Around 725 I left home and became a wanderer. I sailed around, a truly wild spirit. I married the granddaughter of a retired Prime Minister, but even she (Hsu Hsin-shih, try saying that three times fast) could not tame me. In 735, I wandered to Shansi, where one of the most important events of my life happened. Here I met Kuo Tzu-i, a humble soldier. I saved him from a court-martial by simply speaking to the commander.

---

An Examination: Li Bai's Political Motives

Author's Note: An Introduction:

This point in Li Bai's life is where things start moving rapidly. But there are key decisions and ideals that bring up questions. Why didn't he take the examinations? Why did he become a recluse? Here I intend to argue that his reasoning for this is simple: to gain political power.

Background

During the T'ang period, there were only four ways to get an official career:

1. Take the Imperial Examination.
2. Be recommended by someone in charge of an academy.
3. Be recommended by a local/higher official.
4. Be commended by the Emperor himself.

During the formation of dynasties, it can be derived that only methods 2 and 3 were used. However, even after the examination system was established, emperors still liked direct introductions from important people. Just doing extremely well on the examinations was not enough to get a good position (Eide 370). This is why it is very important that I befriend as many important figures as possible.

Song Dynasty painting of examinations.

A common way used by other poets was to send a letter to an important person, and present a "profile" of their writings. Doing this several times was called "keeping the scrolls warm" (Mair 125).

Emperor Hsuan-tsung encouraged literati to rise up mainly using the examination system. However, I was much too impatient and wanted to rise to the top in a single leap. Demonstrating this, I refused to accept the Prefect of Kuang-han’s recommendation letter and did not participate in the usual examination. While either channels were perfectly good ways to get an official career, the slow progress would have been pure torture for me. I believed in what I called “the direct route to becoming a dragon” (Eide 126).

What exactly I meant no one really knows.

This contributed to my image of an uncompromising and ambitious individualist. While it may seem unique, I still had very conventional traits, such as in my poetry.

Taoist Hermit: A lifestyle? Or cunning shortcut?

(Author's Note: Li Bai would have never openly admitted what I am suggesting here. This is now from me, Arnold's, point of view.)

Reclusion during the Tang period may have had hidden ulterior motives. As Mair so artfully states:

“It was as though one were saying to the officials and even to the Emperor, "See how pure and aloof I am. If you want to employ my talents, you must come and wrest me from

my blissful seclusion." ”

An example of this is Li Mi, who deliberately studied Taoism and became a hermit.

He later became Prime Minister (Kohn 630).

It is claimed that Kao-Tsung, Empress Wu, and Hsuan-tsung liked to have "curiosities" at court. The strangeness of Taoist priests during this period was a successful way of attracting the attention of emperors (Kohn 631). Hsuan-tung was claimed to have kept seven resident hermits/Taoist priests (Kohn 632).

This practice is in fact so widespread that it birthed a satirical proverb (Mair 127):

"Chung-nan Mountain is a short cut."

The back story is about the scholar Lu Tsang-yung, who received an Advanced Scholar degree and wanted to enter an official career. However, now was not the right time (as decided by the emperor, so he became a hermit on Chung-nan Mountain.
This mountain is very close to the capital, making it easy for the Emperor to summon monks and such. And true enough, he was soon summoned by the Emperor.

Around this time there was a famous Taoist priest named Ssu-ma Cheng-chen, who also lived on the mountain as a hermit, and had very good connections with the royal family. The tale goes with Ssu-ma returning to the mountain after a palace visit, and meeting upon Tsang-yung, who pointed to the mountain and asked "That's really a wonderful place, isn't it?"
Cheng-chen answered: "As I see it, it's just a shortcut to becoming an official."

With such tales, we can see why Li Bai might have been tempted to try this out himself (Mair 128).
Continuing with both Li Bai's life and political "espionage", we find him traveling a lot during 726-742 (right where we left off), bringing him to numerous provinces, such as Hunan, Kiangsi, Honan, Shansi, and Shantung. But why?

We can derive two basic motives for this:

1. Seek out the unusual and beautiful (Kohn 625). This would have given him some inspiration for his poetry, and also maybe an insight into Taoist immortality.
2. The more important motive: to make friends and meet people- to be more specific: powerful people. Li Bai wanted them to help him through his "Dragon Gate", the road to official success, as per his plans (Mair 130)!

Li Bai's "Letter to Han Ching-chou"

Full Letter: Letter to Han Ching-chou
Not placed here because of its significant length.
When we first look at it, it is in four sections. However, it is not any more special than other epistles written by political aspirants during the Tang! The four key items that appear in these letters(Kroll 115):

1. The whole world admires you, Your Honor!
2. Poet's background and ambitions.
3. Oh you are the final judge of all literature! Please look at some of my writings.
4. Please help me!

This is basically the "warming of scrolls" discussed earlier! However, reading through it, we can find very interesting things that other letters do not have.

The most noticeable is the air of (almost audacious!) self-confidence!

Although I am not quite a six-footer, I am braver than ten thousand men. Princes, dukes, and high ministers admit that I have moral courage and high principles.

This is completely out of place with a letter that asks for help (Kroll 112)!

This sort of practice would surely offend someone, being different then the accepted ways.
The letter is amazing in how the tone almost reflects how terrible it would be if Han Ching-chou did not recommend him (Knoll 131). Although Li Bai did get around to praising him, it was rather cliched (the ending story used). Li Bai hardly knew this man. But that did not cause him to use restraint in his language (Wu 70).

It is safe to say that this letter would be unthinkable coming from anyone else. But in terms of Li Bai's writings, it was practically normal (Mair 134).
It is arguable that Li Bai is too extravagant. In the letter we see him discussing how at the age of fifteen, he liked swordsmanship. I say Li Bai was a very melodramatic person, who enjoyed posturing grandly. The fact that he was unable to keep this sort of writing out of (what should have been) normal, workday prose only supports my argument.

To offer a comparison to a regular letter, I present Han Yu's "Letter to Secretary Li.(Mair 143)"

On a certain day and month, the military attendant and former holder of a professorship in the College of Four Doors, Han Yii, twice prostrates himself to Your Honor the Grand Prefect.

It has been fifteen years now since I came to the Capital. The high-ranking ministers and important officials whom I have met are so many as to be un- countable. They all are able to maintain themselves in office, do their duty, avoid error, and that is all. I have not yet seen anyone who so thoroughly devotes him- self to the service of the Emperor, nor one who worries about his country as though it were his own family as you, Sir, do.

This year, it has already been a hundred and more days now since any rain has fallen. The seed does not enter the earth and there is no green grass in the countryside. And, yet, robbers and thieves do not dare to rise up nor do the grain merchants dare to raise their prices. The people of the hundred wards, twenty bureaus, six armies, and twenty-four districts all behave as though Your Honor were personally visiting them in their homes. Inveterate brigands and habitual bandits shrink back into hiding and are eradicated. Their souls vanish and their spirits fade; their shadows disappear and their traces are cut off. If it had not been for Your Honor's establishing order, reducing antagonistic elements to submission, and publishing abroad the majesty and virtue of the Son of Heaven, how could all of this have been attained?

As for myself, I have been engaged in the study of letters since my youth. Whenever I encounter one who is loyal to his ruler or filial to his parents, even though he lived a thousand or a hundred years ago, I still respect and reverence him. How then with Your Honor, whom I have personally met, could I fail to wait in attendance upon you, hoping to emulate your earnestness?

I respectfully present you with two scrolls of my writings. In all, there are fifteen pieces. I am not so bold as to consider them literary but rather think of them as a sort of intermediary through which to gain an audience. You have only to order whether I advance or retreat. Frightened, I twice prostrate myself.

Notice that Han Yu does not pay any attention to himself, compared to Li Bai's narcissistic ramblings. This letter is very succulent, and businesslike.
note that it covers all four sections as needed:

1. Opens by flattering the subject
2. Asks if the author can be given the opportunity to serve him.
3. Offers some pieces (usually the "reason" why the letter was sent).
4. Glorified closing.

Basically, Li Bai was extremely ill-mannered! This genre called for meekness, humility, and sycophancy (Mair 147). Li Bai completely and utterly disregarded these foundations. Note that this is not because he wanted to disestablish the society or anything, but because he was really self-conceited.

I must comment that he might have done this because his situation is so helpless! Li Bai was unwilling to accept a small. insignificant position. He did not have very good connections. He believed he was the best at what he did, and this would be amazing to the ruler. All this might have fueled him to act this way in his utterly desperate situation. By stunning or annoying his readers, he might move somewhere.

Li Bai, truth be told, was eccentric and (practically) arrogant. He could not follow the correct writing forms (not because he hated the government or society) and his issues prevented him from achieving his dreams in a realistic fashion.

Later in his life we find masterfully composed pieces that reflect on his knowledge and ability to present it properly (Mair 150). Sadly his failure to advertise properly ultimately prevented him from serving as he wished.

Summary

Li Bai was not stupid; he knew exactly what he wanted, and (possibly) the best way to achieve them. The analysis of his actions provides insight into the issue: he was not satisfied with taking the normal route to official success; it had to be grander.

References:

1. Eide, Elling O. On Li Po. New Haven: Yale UP, 1973. Print.
2. Liscomb, Kathlyn. "Iconic Events Illuminating the Immortality of Li Bai." Monumenta Serica 54 (2006): 75-118. JSTOR. Web. 24 Feb. 2012.
3. Kohn, Livia. "Eternal Life in Taoist Mysticism." Journal of the American Oriental Society 110.4 (1990): 622-40. JSTOR. Web. 1 Mar. 2012.
4. Kroll, Paul W. "Li Po's Transcendent Diction." Journal of the American Oriental Society Sinological Studies Dedicated to Edward H. Schafer 106.1 (1986): 99-117. JSTOR. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
5. Mair, Victor H. "Li Po's Letters in Pursuit of Political Patronage." Harvard Journal of Asiatic Studies 44.1 (1984): 123-53. JSTOR. Web. 28 Feb. 2012.
6. Wu, Jingxiong. The Four Seasons of Tʻang Poetry,. Rutland, VT: C.E. Tuttle, 1972. Print.

Pictures

1. Song Dynasty Painting of Imperial Examination. History - Humanistic Spirit. Cultural China. Web. 1 Mar. 2012. <http://history.cultural-china.com/en/168History9790.html>.