Lotus in the Poetry of Tang Dynasty
Lotus in the poetry of Tang Dynasty
中国唐代诗歌中的荷花
Abstract
In Chinese literature, the lotus flower has always renowned as one of the most pure and beautiful flowers. It is regarded that it embodies the Chinese spirit vividly. In the the poetry of Tang Dynasty three aspects of the lotus’s image are the most frequently discussed. Firstly, the lotus can be regarded as a symbol of gentleness of the scholars at that time. In another word, a symbol of the individual personality. Secondly, it also represents the pure and beauty of women. Last but not least, the love symbol is always involved. The characteristics of the lotus in the poetry of Tang Dynasty have been continually and widely spread and accepted by the later generations. This paper mainly bases on the researches and studies of others and some literature works, talking about the image of the lotus in the poetry of Tang Dynasty. Key words: the lotus; image; symbolism; the poetry of Tang Dynasty
Introduction
In Chinese flower culture, the lotus is the subject of poems and paintings endowed with artistic appeal; it is the material of graceful dances; and it is a common pattern and design of various architectural decorations, sculpture artworks and daily utensils[1]. Chinese people have shown their interests in flower appreciation since ancient times. And the kind of appreciation has reached its top. The poems and some other literature works which are on the appreciation of the flowers are countless since the emergence of the Book of Poems. A special kind of literature, which is called the flower culture emerged. According to the flower culture, every kind of flower has its own symbolic meaning and different kinds of cultural spirit. As is known to us all, in Chinese literature, plum blossom is always viewed as a symbol of high-hearted personality; and peony can represent the riches and honors. People often tend to take the plum blossom and the peony as the
中国唐代诗歌中的荷花
Abstract
In Chinese literature, the lotus flower has always renowned as one of the most pure and beautiful flowers. It is regarded that it embodies the Chinese spirit vividly. In the the poetry of Tang Dynasty three aspects of the lotus’s image are the most frequently discussed. Firstly, the lotus can be regarded as a symbol of gentleness of the scholars at that time. In another word, a symbol of the individual personality. Secondly, it also represents the pure and beauty of women. Last but not least, the love symbol is always involved. The characteristics of the lotus in the poetry of Tang Dynasty have been continually and widely spread and accepted by the later generations. This paper mainly bases on the researches and studies of others and some literature works, talking about the image of the lotus in the poetry of Tang Dynasty. Key words: the lotus; image; symbolism; the poetry of Tang Dynasty
Introduction
In Chinese flower culture, the lotus is the subject of poems and paintings endowed with artistic appeal; it is the material of graceful dances; and it is a common pattern and design of various architectural decorations, sculpture artworks and daily utensils[1]. Chinese people have shown their interests in flower appreciation since ancient times. And the kind of appreciation has reached its top. The poems and some other literature works which are on the appreciation of the flowers are countless since the emergence of the Book of Poems. A special kind of literature, which is called the flower culture emerged. According to the flower culture, every kind of flower has its own symbolic meaning and different kinds of cultural spirit. As is known to us all, in Chinese literature, plum blossom is always viewed as a symbol of high-hearted personality; and peony can represent the riches and honors. People often tend to take the plum blossom and the peony as the