Li Po Commentary

Ashley Fawkes
Hui Hoang
Ms. Peifer
10IB
Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon
In the poem “Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon”, the purpose of Li Po’s poem is to share his experience of solitary drinking with the readers. He achieves this purpose by personification of the moon and his shadow. By giving both the moon and shadow the illusion of life, Li Po makes his evenings sound ever more solitary when the moon and even his attached shadow turn their backs on him and desert him.
“I raise my cup and invite the moon to join me” (Li Po 3). This quote shows he how personifies the moon. Li Po, or whoever the speaker might be is beckoning the moon to come and drink with them, an action not normally associated with either rational thought or drinking, and as such, shows how lonely the speaker truly is, bringing it back to the main idea.
Li Po also compares and contrasts the mood of the poem by talking about how people act drunk, versus sober. “While sober we seek pleasure in fellowship; When drunk we go each our own way” (Li Po 11-12). This comparison of actions is used to explain why he feels so solitary while drinking. Were he sober, he would be in the company of real people, not a personified moon. However, since he is not, he is stuck sitting and drinking his troubles away, wishing he had people to converse with.