— Anonymous
A “great” work, whether it may be literature, art, music, film etc., should be one that inspires us, makes us feel emotions, and remains relevant throughout time. And, oftentimes, “great” works constantly teach us about what it means to be human and how to be better for ourselves and others. They seem to be applicable to us in many parts of the journey we all go through in life. As such, a “great” work should be one that we find ourselves constantly turning to. In my english class, Great Works of Literature II, I fortunately got the chance to read several pieces of literature considered to be “great” works. In each of them, I found a little piece of me that I did not expect to find in such older works. One especially notable “great” work was the poem “Drinking Alone in the Moonlight” by Li Po. This poem revolves around a speaker who muses on solitude as he slips further and further into a sweet intoxication. Personally, in reading this poem, I believe I learned the value of solitude. In our busy lives, it is so hard to ever find a minute alone with ourselves and our thoughts. We almost seemed to have developed an aversion to being alone, always seeking different means to fill up that silence with a constant noise. It is almost as if aloneness makes us uncomfortable in a way. I, too, seem to avoid the silence in my own life. More often than not, I find I can never be truly alone with myself for much time. To fill up this silence, I seek constant distractions whether it be through Snapchat, Instagram, or Facetime even though I ultimately end up feeling empty inside. I assume this arises from the fear of the thoughts and feelings that may arise when we are truly alone with ourselves. Unfortunately, many would rather perpetually avoid the silence rather than confronting it. Instead, Li Po emboldens us to embrace the solitude and the silence that comes along with it. The speaker, through the poem, ends up getting lost in himself, intoxicated beyond the physical. In this, Li Po teaches us to truly understand ourselves and finally be content with who and what we are through and through. What Li Po teaches us in “Drinking Alone in the Moonlight” can be considered relevant in the world we live in today especially in light of the COVID-19 caused lockdown. Under these circumstances, most people are forced to be alone with themselves, besides their families, of course. And, most of these people feel as if they are going crazy simply because they do not know what it feels like to be truly alone. This discomfort becomes too much for certain people that they are willing to sacrifice their own safety and the safety of others for the sake of filling that silence by going outside and not social distancing. In these times, especially, Li Po challenges us to embrace solitude and hopefully truly become comfortable with ourselves.
