During the Chinese Tang dynasty, anyone with an education was expected to greet as well as say goodbye in poetic verse composed on the spot. This particular example is one of Li Bai’s (701-762), the most celebrated Tang Dynasty poet. It is a farewell poem written for the poet’s friend, the imperial librarian/proofreader, who climbed the Xie Tiaos Pavilion with Li Bai. In the verse, there is the feeling of being underappreciated by the official circle. He expresses his resentment for the darkness of society and longing for a brighter, more enlightened world (where he would be better appreciated, one assumes).
Random things I find when doing casual research.
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