This is related to their personal experience and literary attainments. We all know that the thousands-year history of Chinese civilization is also a veritable "history of poetry", and the Tang Dynasty was a "prosperous age of poetry" that lasted hundreds of years. During the hundreds of years of the Tang Dynasty, countless poets were born, as vast as a galaxy. Among them, the two who can be called the "leaders" are undoubtedly the poet Li Bai and the poet Du Fu. These two people respectively represent the highest peak of Tang Dynasty poetry, and they are both Taishan and Beidou-type figures who look up to the mountains. However, they are both very talented. One is an immortal and the other is a saint. What is the secret behind them?
The so-called "immortal" refers to "xiaoyao" in ancient culture. Friends who are familiar with Chinese studies may know that the universe in ancient Chinese philosophy is not the universe in the material world, but the universe in the Buddhist worldview. The three realms and the universe are all a field of troubles, a big dye vat. The so-called "Buddhas" and "immortals" are people who jump out of the three realms and are not among the five elements. They can roam freely between heaven and earth without restraint. As a poet, Li Bai is most famous for his poems, which are unrestrained and impenetrable, like an antelope hanging its horns; as a scholar, Li Bai was free and unrestrained throughout his life, walking high and high. Li Bai, who was both a "Sword Immortal" and a "Wine Immortal", was naturally also a "Poetry Immortal".
The so-called "saint" is a person who is highly respected and respected by others. We all know that "saints" are generally given to those who have extremely high attainments and extremely high contributions in various fields. Both are indispensable. For example, the "Sage of Soldiers" Sun Wu, there are countless famous generals in China throughout the ages, and there are many who are better than Sun Wu in actual combat accomplishments. Why is he the unique "Sage of Soldiers"? It is because he has made extremely high contributions in the theoretical community and is respected by others. Du Fu's poems are heavy and pathos, profoundly reflecting the themes of that era, and contain strong humanistic sentiments. Therefore, later generations regarded Du Fu as a "sage of poetry".
To sum up, because Li Bai and Du Fu have different life experiences and literary attainments, there is a difference between "Poetry Immortal" and "Poetry Sage".