Li Po was born in 701 A.D. into the Tang Dynasty in what is now present day Sichuan province.  When he was in his mid 20’s, he married and settled down with his wife’s family, but not for long.  They lived near Hankou, which is now part of present day Wuhan.  In his 30’s, he tries to use his poetry to gain an official position, but that failed.  He later found a place to live in present day Xi’an among other poets like himself.
  At the age of 43, he left the city and adapted himself into the Taoist religion. In the same year, he was banished from where he was currently living.  He had gone on an expedition with one of the emperor’s sons to put down a rebellion in Southern China.  He was exiled because of his relations with an unruly member of the imperial family.  In the years of his exile, he spent his time roaming southeast and also the eastern part of Asia.  He soon received forgiveness and spent his residual years traveling along the Chang (Yangtze).  He died in 762 in the province of Anhui (Anhwei).  Some people say that he died of cirrhosis of the liver from mercury poisoning due to Taoist elixirs.  But legends lead you to believe he died when he was looking into a reflection of the moon and he was also drunk and they say he drowned. Li Po loved to write about wine, love, friendship, nature, and solitude.