Li Bai is regarded as the greatest romantic poet of the Tang Dynasty and a representative of the High Tang culture, combination of realistic Northern culture represented by Confucian (儒家的) philosophy and romantic Southern culture represented by Taoist philosophy. But he could neither realize his Confucian ideal to serve the country nor find spiritual freedom in Taoism (道教), so he could only chant poetry and drink wine to drown his sorrow as described by Du Fu in Eight Immortal Drinkers. Here we see the tragedy (悲剧) of a genuine staying lonely on earth like an angel fallen from Heaven. His poetry is marked by male greatness in the Waterfall in Mount Lu Viewed from Afar, in which we see the mountain cloud from down below and the Silver River, Chinese name for the Milky Way, fall from on high, and heaven and earth seem to merge into one, that is the Chinese way of communion with nature. In his poetry, we can find his love of nature, of freedom, of the people, of his friends, in short, of truth, good and beauty.
Li Bai is best known for the extraordinary imagination and striking 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 (拥抱) the reflection of the moon.
