Throughout human history, our beliefs have influenced our actions. This is why we have studies like the humanities. During the Tang Dynasty, the different religions that developed over time had a huge influence on what was produced during the era. When it comes to literature, poets such as Wang Wei, Li Bai, Du Fu, and Bo Juyi expressed their religion through poetry during the Tang era. Although it is not always mentioned directly in their poetry, there are connections between the works of Tang Dynasty poets and their respective religions. Wang Wei (699-761 AD), was a Buddhist poet born into the upper class of Shanxi. He overcame the Chin-Shi system, a system designed to challenge government and bureaucratic officials in all areas of knowledge, from poetry and art to academia. However, Wei was exiled due to losing popularity during his career. It was then that he truly took on the role of poet and became phenomenal with his art. His exile was caused by a misunderstanding during the An Lushan rebellion in 775 AD (Davis et al. 1169). Wei was imprisoned by the state because they thought he was part of the rebellion. Surprisingly, the way he broke out of this imprisonment was through his poetry. During his imprisonment he wrote two poems proclaiming his faith to the emperor who restored faith to the court. You have to be truly exceptional to get out of prison through poetics! Wei truly enjoyed the aforementioned exile because it gave him time to become passionate about nature and his serene estate along the Wang River. He found peace in nature, where in the city of Chang'an he had to deal with all the affairs related to the functioning of the government and bureaucracy... middle of paper... he can totally be himself without being judged. He feels more comfortable away from everyone. The message, for me, in this poem is to express yourself without regrets. The theme that strikes me is the desire to be like a hermit. This can be said to have been written in the Chinese classical period because of the focus on separating the artist from the concerns of everyday society. Works Cited The Bedford Anthology of World Literature: The Ancient, Medieval, and Early Modern World, Beginnings—1650. Compact ed. Eds. Paul Davis, et al. Beford: Boston, 2009. Print. 1163-1183.Wen, Haiming. "Chinese Buddhism in the Sui and Tang Dynasties". China Today 60.12 (2011): 76-77. Academic research completed. Network. December 16, 2013.Richey, Jeffrey L. Teaching Confucianism. Oxford: Oxford University Press, 2008. eBook Collection (EBSCOhost). Network. December 16. 2013.