望庐山瀑布

1. Historical Background: Mount Lu, a celebrated scenic and cultural landmark since ancient times, became a magnet for literati in the Tang Dynasty (618–907), a golden age when landscape poetry flourished as scholars sought to express their spiritual connection to the natural world. 2. Cultural Background: The 'Incense Peak' is named for its resemblance to a traditional incense burner, and the 'Silver River' is a classic Chinese term for the Milky Way, symbolizing celestial mystery and transcendence in traditional cosmology. 3. Social Background: In prosperous Tang society, roaming famous mountains and rivers was a popular pastime for scholars, offering an escape from bureaucratic constraints and a way to cultivate artistic and spiritual growth. 4. Personal Experience: When writing this poem, Li Bai was wandering the Yangtze River basin after setbacks in his official career, turning to nature to find solace and rekindle his creative inspiration. 5. Purpose & Artistic Features: Li Bai’s goal is to celebrate nature’s overwhelming beauty; he uses bold hyperbole, surreal imagery, and sensory details to transform a real landscape into a celestial spectacle, blending visual and auditory cues to create a breathtaking, grand atmosphere that defines his iconic romantic poetic style.