I spent years as an avowed non-fan of Li Bai and his hey-guys-you-won't-believe-how-messed-up-I-got routine, and it's only recently, and thanks to poems like this one, that I realized he's a lot more interesting than his persona. (This is what I get for avoiding him for so long.) Even something like 將進酒 becomes richer and more endearing if you look at it as him playing a part he'd grown tired of.
OG
Did local elites not support poets or scholars?
I spent years as an avowed non-fan of Li Bai and his hey-guys-you-won't-believe-how-messed-up-I-got routine, and it's only recently, and thanks to poems like this one, that I realized he's a lot more interesting than his persona. (This is what I get for avoiding him for so long.) Even something like 將進酒 becomes richer and more endearing if you look at it as him playing a part he'd grown tired of.