Now there are only over 900 poems by Li Bai, which are probably lost, but they are very rich and colorful. Li Bai cared about national affairs all his life, hoping to make contributions to the country, but he was not satisfied with the dark reality. His "Fifty-nine Antiques" is a masterpiece in this field, which widely exposes and criticizes the dark and corrupt politics in the late Tang Xuanzong period, and reflects the grief and indignation of the talented people who have no choice but to go. A lot of words are ironic, and the spirit is very high. Li Bai is eager to make contributions and serve the country, but he does not envy wealth. What do you think of are bells and drums, treasures and treasures? . After making contributions, he will follow the example of Lu Zhonglian, a senior scholar in the Warring States period, and quit without respect. His thoughts were obviously influenced by Taoism, especially Zhuangzi.
Many of Li Bai's poems show concern and sympathy for people's lives. This content is often combined with criticism of rulers. Some of his Yuefu poems reflect women's lives and sufferings, which focus on thinking about women and remembering people, as well as the grievances of businessmen, abandoned wives and maids. His "Lodging in Wusongshan Mountain, Uncle Xun", "Song of Protection" and "Song of Autumn Pu" describe the lives of farmers, boatmen and miners respectively, showing concern for the working people.
Li Bai wrote many poems describing natural scenery in his life. His poems "It's difficult to ascend to heaven through the Shu Road", "The water of the Yellow River can't be moved out of the sky and into the ocean, and it will never return" ("Into the wine"), "Flying down three thousands of feet, it is suspected that the Milky Way has fallen for nine days" ("Looking at Lushan Waterfall") and so on are all famous sentences that have been passed down through the ages. This kind of poetry, just like some of his works praising Dapeng birds, shows his lofty aspirations and broad mind, and reflects his desire to pursue extraordinary things from the side.
Other poems, such as Qiu Deng's North Building of Xuancheng Qi Xie, Sitting Alone in Jingting Mountain and Journey to Qingxi, are good at depicting beautiful scenery, fresh and meaningful, and their styles are close to those of Wang Wei and Meng Haoran.
Li Bai also has many poems about love and friendship. His Yuefu poems often express euphemistic and profound love from the perspective of female inheritors. There are also some poems about giving gifts and missing your wife, and their feelings are quite deep. Li Bai donated a large number of works to his friends, including many excellent works. Some of these poems show a distinct political attitude, and more often they show their daily farewell and lovesickness, such as the Yellow Crane Tower's farewell to Meng Haoran and Du Fu at Dunmenmen, hearing that Wang Changling moved to Longbiao Kiln for this purpose, reminiscing about the past, visiting the army and giving Wang Lun a present. Deep feelings, vivid images and strong artistic appeal.
The content of Li Bai's poems also contains some feudal dross, among which more is the negative nihilism of promoting life as a dream, eating and drinking, and the religious superstition of seeking immortals to visit the Tao and alchemy. Some of his poems about women and love are vulgar. In Li Bai's poems, exaggerated and vivid metaphors are widely used. His poems "But since the water is still flowing, although it is a knife cut, raise a glass to ease the sorrow" (Uncle Yun, a farewell school book at Xiezilou in Xuanzhou) and "Three thousands of feet with white hair, Sorrow is like a beard" (Song of Autumn Pu, Part XV) depict his deep anxiety after the failure of political activities in Chang 'an, which are widely circulated famous sentences. His poem "Poetry from the North Window is not as good as a glass of water" ("Answering the Twelve Cold Nights of the King") wrote his own talent; "I would like to cross the Yellow River, but the ice will choke on the ferry, and Taihang Mountain will be covered with snow" ("Difficult to Travel"), which is difficult to write a career; "Peach Blossom Lake is deeper than thousands of feet, not as good as Wang Lun" ("To Wang Lun"), writing about the deep friendship between friends, etc. , all impressed readers with distinctive and prominent images.