Observing the Moon
- Poetry of Li Bai (Li Po)

Li Bai recalls his innocent observations of the moon as a child. With vivid imagery detailing the specifics of his imagination, Li conveys the beauty of a child’s observations. He prefaces his poem by warning readers that he did not understand the moon when he was younger, and believed it to be exquisite objects like 白玉盘 (a white jade plate) or 镜 (a mirror). The vivid colors used to describe the placement of the full moon in the dark sky — 白玉盘 (white jade plate) in the middle of 青云端 (crystal blue sky) — reveals the ability of simple words to create strikingly beautiful imagery.