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The Selected Poems of Li Po

By: Li Po, Po Li, David Hinton, Bai Li
Narrated by: David Shih
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Publisher's summary

Li Po (AD 701-762) lived in T'ang Dynasty China, but his influence has spanned the centuries: the pure lyricism of his poems has awed readers in China and Japan for over a millennium, and through Ezra Pound’s translations, Li Po became central to the modernist revolution in the West. His work is suffused with Taoism and Ch'an (Zen) Buddhism, but these seem not so much spiritual influences as the inborn form of his life.

There is a set-phrase in Chinese referring to the phenomenon of Li Po: "Winds of the immortals, bones of the Tao." He moved through this world with an unearthly freedom from attachment, and at the same time belonged profoundly to the earth and its process of change. However ethereal in spirit, his poems remain grounded in the everyday experience we all share. He wrote 1,200 years ago, half a world away, but in his poems we see our world transformed.

Legendary friends in eighth-century T'ang China, Li Po and Tu Fu are traditionally celebrated as the two greatest poets in the Chinese canon. David Hinton’s translation of Li Po’s poems is no less an achievement than his critically acclaimed The Selected Poems of Tu Fu, also published by New Directions. By reflecting the ambiguity and density of the original, Hinton continues to create compelling English poems that alter our conception of Chinese poetry.

©1996 New Directions (P)2017 TalkingBook
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Featured Article: The Best Poetry Audiobooks to Listen to for National Poetry Month


It’s a common turn of phrase that poetry is meant to be heard. Tone, pauses, cadence, and vocal inflections all serve to further the emotional pull of modern and historical poetic masterpieces. In audio, poems can be heard and enjoyed just as the poet meant them to be. Taking into account not only the words themselves but the way they are spoken, our list provides a look at the power behind a poem, celebrating those works which have touched our souls.

What listeners say about The Selected Poems of Li Po

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Deeply moving

If you could sum up The Selected Poems of Li Po in three words, what would they be?

Fascinating. Refreshing. Graceful.

Any additional comments?

I found this to be beautiful and thoroughly enjoyable. The narrator did a wonderful job with Li Po's text. I would highly recommend this. *****

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  • Overall
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Wonderful

Any additional comments?

Two thumbs up for David Shih. Not enough great poetry on Audible. This is great.

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Classic Work, Great Actor

Cool to see something like LI PO done so professionally. Love the introduction. Great reading from David Shih. Get this one.

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Really Great

Daivd Shih does a tremendous job with this material. Great for morning drives before work. Puts your mind at ease. Beautiful.

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1 person found this helpful

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Great Listen to Bring On Serenity

His appreciation for the Beauties of Nature encourages a stillness in the Soul we don’t find in many places today.

Shih has the perfect voice to enhance the experience. Very comforting.

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An intriguing experience

Li Po is an interesting person, an 8th Century Chinese Jack Kerouac. My favorite poem was about drinking wine alone under the moon, with his shadow. He survived a very bloody civil war, and some of his poems are grotesque and sad. I’m thankful to have access to this man’s foreign and ancient yet relatable experiences. It's sad that most of his poems have been lost. The narrator has a wonderful voice.

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the narrator sounds like bad TikTok ai

title

I love Li Bai but the narration is hard to listen to. buyer beware

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I am into Taoism, but this poetry didn't grab me

I didn't like the (apparently largely fabricated) character of Li Po as described, and I found the poetry unimpressive. The narrator is highly skilled, though.

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