《你当像李白长风破浪》李白：才华横溢、妙趣横生，谁不爱

"If I could start over, I would choose Li Bai. Hundreds of years ago, his success and failures were not subject to so much speculation. If I could start over, I would choose Li Bai. His creativity could have reached such heights and been admired by so many people..." Even though the lyrics of Li Ronghaos "Li Bai" may seem nonsensical, I still enjoy the song. Its precisely because I love Li Bai.

Li Bai may be a universal beloved figure. His fans come from all ages and genders. In the book "Be Like Li Bai and Brave the Storm", its said that we encounter Li Bais poetry from the time we learn to speak. For instance, theres the famous poem "The bright moonlight shines on my bed. Like frost on the ground stained red. I see the moon, and lower my head. Thinking of home, moments misread." Then, we see the true essence of life from Li Bais writing.

Hes so authentic - uncorrupted and never compromising. He overflows with vigor and vitality, with a youthful emotional energy and fresh blood. This is also the image of the entire Tang dynasty. Without Li Bai, it wouldnt have been the Tang.

01 Li Bai and the Moon

In Li Bais surviving one thousand poems, hundreds of them relate to the moon. Li Bai loved the moon during his entire life, and he never stopped praising it. If people say he died because he drank too much and went to the river to retrieve the moon, many will believe it.

Three-year-olds can recite "Quiet Night Thoughts" which mentions the moon. We also know and love many of his other moon poems. As time goes by, we grow from being innocent and immature to mature and complex, but no matter how the world changes, the moon still hangs high in the sky, spreading its eternal light.

Everyone writes poetry, and theres always the moon in poetry. However, Li Bais moon is different from everyone elses. Other poets passively observe, show shock, share the same view, and gaze at the boundless universe with sighs. Li Bai adds a new dimension of the poets spirit to the moon.

What does this mean? Li Bai can play with the moon, admire the moon, and ask the moon, as in "When will the full moon rise over the clear blue sky? I raise my cup and ask the bright moon on high." Li Bai sees the moon and forgets his sorrows, "The wild geese fly south, taking my heart with them. Mountains carry the sweet moon, and away with them, they go." He can also "follow the moon down the mountains at dusk and take the moon home as his companion, like a dog."

The moon is the celestial moon, and its also our moon. Similarly, Li Bai is our Li Bai, emanating infinite charm like the moon.

02 Li Bai and Youth

Li Bai has always been portrayed in the hearts of his fans as an unrestrained youth. He likes drinking and riding horses, wielding a sword against the vast sky.

Li Bai seems childish, and he doesnt appear grown-up, even at 50, still seeming to lack stability. He wears his emotions on his sleeves, and from his poetry, we perceive the ups and downs of his soul. Hes impulsive and exaggerated in his behavior. Hes not slick or worldly-wise, easily trusting people, and not knowing how to protect himself or live by the norms of mainstream society.

We see Li Bai as a frustrated person and want to protect him, but hes resilient and bounces back in no time, even comforting others. For instance, his poem "The long wind and waves will knock us down, but we will hang our sails and cross the sea" and "I was born with talents that are sure to show. I may gamble all my money away, but it will come back anyhow." These might have been poems for self-healing at the time, but they unknowingly helped countless generations.

Li Bai doesnt care for money; he may have it, but he either spends it on alcohol or gives it to others in need. Li Bai doesnt seek fame, but he needs it to achieve his goals and ambitions.

Unfortunately, our Li Bai doesnt understand politics, and his naivety leads him to trust the wrong people, ultimately resulting in his imprisonment and exile.

Yet, Li Bai is Li Bai, and he tirelessly seeks opportunities. Throughout his life, Li Bai had an unwavering loyalty, which shall never change.

03 Li Bai and Travel

As we all know, Li Bai loves traveling. He may be one of our earliest pioneers in this regard. Someone has counted the contents of Li Bais poems and claimed that he traveled to 18 provinces, 206 counties, climbed 80-plus mountains, visited over 60 rivers, and around 20 lakes.

Some people say that Li Bais motivation for frequent travel was to make contacts with hermits, local officials, aristocrats, and other influential individuals in different provinces to build up connections and prepare for his future advancement in official positions.

Indeed, Li Bais travels increased his fame and facilitated his rise in the official ranks through his relationship network. But we cannot deny that Li Bais wandering also had the passion of being on the road.

Li Bai belongs on the road. No family, marriage, or hometown can stop him. He exists, so he travels. And he travels to confirm his existence.

There were too many "unhappy moments" in Li Bais life, so he needed to leave and travel. He needed to visit famous mountains. He sought to release and dissolve his anxiety and crisis and regain the dignity and freedom of life. Were the same nowadays. Whether happy or not, we all long to travel. With the world being so vast, we all want to explore.