Li Po (701-762), one of the most popular Chinese poets, was noted for his romantic songs on wine, women, and nature. His writings reflect the grandeur of the T'ang dynasty at the height of its prosperity.

Li Po was probably born in central Asia, where his ancestors had lived in exile since the early 7th century. His father took the family back to China about 705 and settled down at Mien-chou in Szechwan, where the poet grew up. A precocious boy, he started his poetic compositions early but disdained to take the literary examination. Except for a period of seclusion in the mountains near home, he spent his youth in search of adventures abroad. Skilled in swordsmanship, he led the life of the knight-errant, traveling extensively in Szechwan and, later, in his twenty-fifth year, northward to central China. He was married in 727 to the daughter of a retired prime...