Alcohol in Tang and Song Dynasties’ Poetry: A Way to Combat Loneliness and Insecurity

During the Tang and Song Dynasties in ancient China, alcohol and poetry were deeply connected. This paper aims to look at mentions of alcohol, or Jiu (酒), in poems written in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and explore what these mentions of alcohol tell us about the lives, emotions, and identities of the poets. Different drinking occasions are examined in this paper, including drinking alone, drinking with friends, drinking games, and farewell drinking. It is argued here that for the poets in the Tang and Song Dynasties, drinking was a way to combat their loneliness and insecurity associated with their government positions and personal experiences by connecting themselves to others.During the Tang and Song Dynasties in ancient China, alcohol and poetry were deeply connected. This paper aims to look at mentions of alcohol, or Jiu (酒), in poems written in the Tang and Song Dynasties, and explore what these mentions of alcohol tell us about the lives, emotions, and identities of the poets. Different drinking occasions are examined in this paper, including drinking alone, drinking with friends, drinking games, and farewell drinking. It is argued here that for the poets in the Tang and Song Dynasties, drinking was a way to combat their loneliness and insecurity associated with their government positions and personal experiences by connecting themselves to others.