Writing background:
Since the end of Kaiyuan, the politics of the Tang Dynasty has gradually moved towards corruption. Various contradictions have emerged one after another, and class contradictions and national contradictions have The contradictions within the ruling class are particularly prominent. In addition, laws and institutions have begun to break down, and the problem of land annexation has become increasingly serious. Under this background, the imperial military system could no longer sustain itself, and the Tang Empire truly entered its decline.
At this time, Li Bai embraced the hope of economic development and saving the country and the people. He was called into Chang'an by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty and began his career as an official. However, life in the capital made him disappointed. He only served as a literary attendant in the court and had no chance to show his talents.
As a result, he felt very distressed and dissatisfied. He was unwilling to join the decadent ruling class, nor was he willing to flatter the powerful ministers. His contemptuous and aloof attitude eventually led to him being slandered and slandered. In the end, he was driven out of Chang'an and suffered a major setback in his official career.
After that, Li Bai wandered around the Jianghuai area, feeling extremely depressed, and once again embarked on a long journey to travel around the mountains and rivers of his motherland. When Li Bai wrote this poem, it had been eight years since Li Bai was "gifted with gold and released" by Emperor Xuanzong of the Tang Dynasty. During this period, Li Bai and his friend Cen Xun (Cen Fuzi) were invited many times to the Yingyang Mountain residence of Yuan Danqiu, another friend of Songshan Mountain. The three of them climbed high to have banquets and wine and songs.
The poet was politically marginalized and beaten, and his ideals could not be realized. He often used drinking to vent his pent-up feelings. There is no better pleasure in life than drinking with friends, and the author is at a time when he is "embracing talents for the world but not meeting them", so it is inappropriate to use wine to create poetry and express his grievances.
Extended information
Original text of "Jinjinjiu" by Li Bai of the Tang Dynasty:
If you don't see it, the water of the Yellow River will come up from the sky and rush to the sea never to return. Don’t you see, the bright mirror in the high hall has sad white hair, and it looks like blue silk in the morning and turns to snow in the evening. If you are proud of life, you must have all the joy, and don't let the golden bottle stand empty against the moon. It is my nature that my talents will be useful, and I will come back after all my money has been spent. Cooking sheep and slaughtering cattle is a pleasure, and you will have to drink three hundred cups at a time. Master Cen, Dan Qiusheng, is about to drink wine, but don’t stop drinking.
A song with you, please listen to me. Bells, drums, food and jade are not expensive, but I hope I will never wake up after being drunk for a long time. In ancient times, all the sages were lonely, but only the drinkers left their names. In the old days, King Chen had a banquet and a lot of fun and banquets. What does the master mean if he has less money? It is up to you to sell it. The five-flowered horse and the golden fur will be exchanged for fine wine, and I will sell the eternal sorrow with you.
Translation: Didn’t you see it? The water of the Yellow River seems to be pouring from the sky, and the waves roll straight to the East China Sea and never flow back. Haven't you seen that white hair in the high hall, facing the mirror, lamenting deeply? It was still green hair in the morning, but it turned into snow in the evening. When you are proud of life, you should enjoy the joy to the fullest, and don't let the golden cup face the bright moon empty without wine.
God has created my talents, so they must be useful. Even if I spend a thousand taels of gold, I can get it again. Let the cooking of lambs and the slaughter of oxen be considered a joyful thing, and if necessary, one should drink three hundred cups happily. Cen Xun, Yuan Danqiu, drink quickly and don’t stop.
I will sing you a song, please listen to me carefully. The luxurious life of delicacies from mountains and seas is not considered precious. I just hope that I can be drunk and dream about it without wanting to wake up. ?
Since ancient times, sages have been lonely. Only those who know how to drink can leave a good reputation. The king of Chen, Cao Zhi, held a banquet and was optimistic, drinking expensive wine and having fun. Why do you say I don’t have much money? Just use the money to buy wine and drink together. Expensive horses, expensive leather coats, call your son and exchange all these things for fine wine. Let us eliminate this endless sorrow together!
Poetry Appreciation
"Jinjinjiu" is originally a tune of a Han Dynasty Yuefu short flute and cymbal song. The title means "Song to Encourage Drinking", and its content is mostly about singing and drinking. . In this poem, Li Bai "used the topic to express his feelings", drank to relieve his sorrow, lamented that life is easy to grow old, and expressed his feelings of not being able to appreciate his talents. This poem vividly reflects Li Bai's unruly character: full of confidence in himself, aloof and arrogant, passionate and bold.
This poem is intended to express the geometry of life, carpe diem, the loneliness of the saint, the nihilistic and depressing thoughts of the drinker leaving his name, and wishing to end everything in a long drunken state.
The first six sentences of the poem describe that life is like the water of the Yellow River rushing into the sea, never to return. In this way, we should enjoy ourselves in time and not waste our time. The sixteen sentences of "Tian Sheng" describe that wealth in life cannot be maintained forever, so "all the money is gone" and "there is no happiness". At the same time, he pointed out that "sages and sages have been lonely since ancient times" and only "drinkers leave their names" through the ages. He took Chen Wang Cao Zhi as an example to express the poet's inner injustice.
The six-sentence ending of "Master" describes the poet's drunkenness and great work. He doesn't regret the "five-flowered horse" and "thousand gold fur", just to get drunk and then rest. It expresses the poet's broad mind. The sentence "I am born with talents that will be useful" is the poet's self-confidence in his self-worth, and also reveals his positive thoughts and feelings of being unappreciated and eager to use his talents in the world.
This poem is deep and profound, and has an extraordinary atmosphere. The emotions are extremely sad and angry, the language is extremely bold and calm, with ups and downs, unrestrained ups and downs. The poems vary in length and are intricate; the rhythm is fast and slow, and the pace is rapid. Li Bai's life can be described as a tragic life.
The poem "About to Enter the Wine" is a portrayal of his tragic life. Some people call "About to Enter the Wine" the pinnacle of Li Bai's poetry and art, while others say it is just his drunken gibberish.
His person, his poetry, and his wine are the trinity of Li Bai.
Baidu Encyclopedia--Jinjinjiu