Imagery of Flowers in Ancient Poetry

Chinese people pay attention to the beauty of innuendo in their speech, and often use imagery to express their emotions, and this is especially true of ancient poems.

While poets sing about flowers, their imagery is constantly expanded and enriched, gradually forming a specific spiritual core, which is blended into the profound Chinese traditional culture and passed down to this day.

To appreciate the imagery of flowers in poetry, it is natural to start with plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum.

Plum, orchid, bamboo and chrysanthemum are known as the "Four Gentlemen of Flowers". With their proud, quiet, firm and light character, they have become the symbols of the Chinese people's feelings for things, and they are also common subjects in poems and paintings.

Throughout the ages, countless literati have praised the four humble gentlemen in different forms.

01

Plum, the wave of snow, cut snow and ice, a proud bone

is a noble aspirant

Plum blossom is a common aesthetic image in ancient China. Its frost-resistant properties were repeatedly sung by ancient literati, and poets used this objective image to blend in their own subjective meaning, giving the plum blossom a variety of beautiful character.

The main images of the plum blossom are six:

One is the courage to lead the fragrance and dare to be the first in the world

Two is the tenacity to overcome the cold

Three is the bone of purity, the will not to be part of the crowd

Four is the symbol of the hermit and the high priest

Five is the beauty of the cold and lightness of the beauty

The sixth is the transmission of emotions and blessings

The plum blossom has been used as a symbol for the ancient literati. p>

Mentioning plum blossoms, we have to talk about "Plum Blossoms" made by Wang Anshi of the Northern Song Dynasty.

Plum blossoms

Wang Anshi

There are several branches of plum blossoms in the corner of the wall, blooming alone in the cold.

It is not the snow that I know from afar, but the dark fragrance that comes with it.

Reading this poem, a beautiful picture seems to come to mind, and I can smell the fragrance in the cold air. However, after reading the imagery of "plum", the understanding of the poem will be more profound.

The first two lines are about the plum blossom in the corner of the wall, not afraid of the cold, proudly alone, and the last two lines are about the plum blossom, white and bright, and the aroma is far away from the cloth, which praises the grace and character of the plum blossom, which is the reflection of the poet's cold and stubborn character.

The poet, through the appreciation of the noble character of the plum blossom which is not afraid of the cold, uses the snow as a metaphor for the plum's icy cleanliness, and uses the "dark fragrance" to point out that the plum is better than the snow, which shows the great charm of a strong and noble personality.

The author of the Northern Song Dynasty in the extremely complex and difficult situation, active reform, but can not get support, its lonely mentality and difficult situation, and the plum blossom naturally have *** through the place.

So, read the "plum" imagery, in order to truly read the poem, when we face difficult difficulties, if we can inherit the noble quality of the plum blossom, is really learned the essence of the poem, the poem internalized in the heart, used in life.

02

Orchid, the empty valley, the secret release, the lonely fragrance, fragrance and elegance

is the world's wise

The empty valley, the secret orchid, orchid is the most fascinating place is the "secret".

Because it grows in deep mountains and valleys, it can clean the posture of that kind of beautiful and fragrant, and keep the beauty of its nature with its clear and simple fragrance. A kind of "people do not know and not huffing" style of gentleman, a kind of not seeking to achieve success, not to make a name for themselves, only the pursuit of ambition in the heart of the open-minded, is suitable for many literati painters noble, elegant, elegant expression.

They use orchids as a carrier to show their ideals, interest, beauty and personality to the fullest.

Orchid

Cui Tu

Plants are known to all, and the fragrance is only held in secret.

Since there is no gentleman to wear it, the fragrance of the country has not declined.

The white dew is early, and the spring breeze is late.

It is not as good as the grass on the road, what is the purpose of the fragrance?

Shi Lan

Mei Yaochen

Shi Yan had not been born on the stone, the famous orchid is orchids and so on.

The disease was cured by Emperor Yandi and the book, and the Chushen was empty.

The imagery of "orchid" enriches the aesthetics and connotation of the aria, and the poets have given the natural orchid all kinds of new meanings to make it have many deep meanings, and some scholars have summarized that the imagery of orchid can be summarized as "hermit", "gentleman", "scholar", and "scholar", Some scholars also summarize that orchids can be summarized as "hermit", "gentleman", "beauty" and "friendship of golden orchid", which express different emotions in different poetic contexts.

Do you like the tranquil and elegant orchid?

03

Bamboo, sieve wind and moon, dashing life, elegant and tranquil

is a modest gentleman

Bamboo has the natural attribute of not being rigid and not being soft, and not withering in frost and snow. It is progressive and upright, swaying, fragrant rhyme; defy the heat, frost and snow, not to avoid the poor soil, the nature of the logging can be regenerated; high wind and bright, clear and thin bones, modest character, so that poets have created a colorful "bamboo" imagery.

Bamboo Museum

Wang Wei

Sitting alone in a secluded grove, playing the qin again long whistle.

The deep woods are unknown to the people, and the bright moon comes to illuminate them.

As born in the cultivation of the forest, long in the banks of the spring, a set of dashing style and charm of the bamboo in one. It is not withered by the cold, tough and upright, so that countless writers and writers lingering, sighing endlessly.

04

Chrysanthemum, frosty and elegant, maverick, do not tend to inflammation

is a hermit

Mention of chrysanthemum, we have to mention the originator of the Chinese idyllic poet, the Eastern Jin Dynasty hermit Tao Yuanming, who is said to be in love with the "bucket of wine gathered than neighbor", "the strange article *** appreciate. The strange text **** appreciate, doubt and analyze". The quality of the chrysanthemum is in fact a symbol of Tao Yuanming's life of "purity and purity".

The chrysanthemums, the distant southern mountains, and the free-flying birds form a tranquil atmosphere, which sets off the poet's "pure and clean" qualities.

Drinking wine (the fifth) Tao Yuanming

The hut is in the people's realm, without the noise of cars and horses.

What can you do? I'm not sure if I can do it, but I'm not sure if I can do it at all.

Picking chrysanthemums under the east hedge, leisurely seeing the south mountain.

The mountain air is good day and night, and the birds fly with each other.

There is a true meaning in this, which I want to recognize but have forgotten to say.

"Under the east hedge of the chrysanthemums, you can see the south mountain at ease. The beautiful scenery after returning to his hometown expresses Tao Yuanming's inner tranquility and peace, and the word "leisurely" expresses the author's state of mind to the fullest extent!

Su Shi Yun: "Because of the chrysanthemum and see the mountain, the meaning and the realm will be, this sentence is the most wonderful."

No wonder this sentence has been sung throughout the ages. Nowadays, we live a fast-paced life, should not also take the time to experience the beauty of the scenery and that "leisurely" it?

Besides "plum orchids, bamboo and chrysanthemums", there are countless flower poems in ancient poems, and the imagery of different flowers in poems is also different, expressing different feelings, conveying different qualities, and being endowed with different cultural and spiritual beauty.

While poets sing about flowers, their imagery is constantly expanded and enriched, gradually forming a specific spiritual core, which is fused into the profound Chinese traditional culture and has been handed down to the present day.

When you read and understand the imagery of flowers, you can really read and understand the poetry of flowers.