Luis Vargas

Ms. Peifer

English 10Ib

5/28/12

                                    Drinking Alone beneath the Moon commentary

            Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon, by Li Po Poems demonstrates a overall dominate effect that everything in nature is alive. The author also incorporates the principles of Taoism which make the poem very lively. The author also uses a lot of imagery and personifies many things in nature to establish the overall message that everything in the nature is alive. The author uses very descriptive imagery to make the reader understand that everything around the narrator is alive in a way.

The moon is the very first thing that Li Po gives life to in the poem. Li Po makes the moon seem very alive when the narrator wants invite the moon to join him in his drinking. “I raise my cup to invite the moon to join me “(3). These lines make the reader comprehend how alive the moon is; if the moon can take a drink with the narrator it clearly demonstrates the moon has been personified and been given life to making the moon alive. Li Lo personifies the moon to make the moon have a feeling about the idea of drinking with the narrator “Alas the moon is unconcerned about drinking” (5). If the moon is unconcern about drinking it demonstrates that the moon has feeling. Another great example of how the moon is personified is when they narrator starts singing to eat and the moon starts rocking back and forth. “ I sing and the moon goes back and forth”( 9). If the moon can rock back and forth it clearly demonstrates once again that the moon is very alive. This line is also a great example of image that is expressed through the poem. The reader can achieve an image of the moon rocking back and forth happily, making the reader believe that the moon is very alive.

Another great example on how things are given life and personified is when the narrator starts dancing with its shadow. “Briefly I cavort with the moon and my shadow” (7). If the narrator can covert with his shadow the shadow is one again given life to prove the dominate effect that everything is given life.

This poem and Taoism are being compared together because everything revolves around nature in both of them. Taoism is a nature based philosophy and the poem is also based on the bond between nature and mankind. They are both compared to be alike in a way as whole rather than individual parts of the poem and life. This comparison is achieved by boning nature and mankind through the poem. For example, the moon, the shadow, and the narrator are bonded together to drink together through the poem. Mankind is expressed to be lonely but nature creates a strong bond between them since the narrator only friend is nature.

Li Po used very well personified imagery to demonstrate the dominant effect the everything in the world is alive. Li Po also compares this poem to Taoism and how nature revolves around it to give nature a very lively spirit.