Li Bai

Li Bai (701–762), also known as Li Po, was a major poet of China’s Tang dynasty. His poetry is celebrated for vivid imagery, conversational expression, and themes drawn from travel, friendship, solitude, and personal experience. He briefly served at the imperial court after being appointed to the Hanlin Academy in 742, but spent much of his life wandering and writing. His work later influenced poets beyond China, including Ezra Pound and James Wright.