Lines 1—2

"Drinking Alone Beneath the Moon" begins by setting a scene. There are flowers in bloom, and the poem's speaker finds a jar of wine. He takes note of the fact that there is no one else around to drink it with, and then proceeds to pour a cup for himself.

Lines 3—4

The speaker, having already emphasized the fact that he is alone, raises his cup to toast the moon. Among the T'ang Dynasty poets, and especially in the work of Li Po, the moon was considered to have special significance. It was thought to be the feminine balance of the masculine Earth, in keeping with the way that Taoist philosophy sees all things in complimentary pairs. As such, the moon was considered to be the poets' major source of inspiration.

As he is toasting, the speaker notices his shadow, which is, naturally enough, posed in...