For another poetic friendship, see James Wright and Robert Bly. Du Fu trained as a civil servant but spent most of his life in itinerancy, writing about the political landscape of the country and the personal tragedies that he witnessed. Getting drunk in those days was considered more of a transcendental activity than it is now, though Li Bai especially also had a bit of a reputation for debauchery. The two men had in common a love of the tipple, and liked to write while under the influence. Li Bai was also a poet, and along with Du Fu is still considered one of China’s most enduring and endearing literary figures. ‘This parting from the living brings constant pain,’ wrote eighth-century Chinese poet Du Fu (also known as Tu Fu) in 759 in an ode to friendship about his separation from Li Bai, who was in exile in the south of the country.
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