“The lotuses are gone and there is no rain cover, but the chrysanthemums are still covered with proud frost branches” describes the scenery in early winter.
The Qijue poem from Su Shi's "To Liu Jingwen" of the Northern Song Dynasty means that the chrysanthemums have withered, but the tall and straight chrysanthemum branches still look full of vitality in the cold wind.
The genius of the poet is that he does not simply write about the withering of lotus and chrysanthemum flowers, but extends the description to lotus leaves and chrysanthemum branches. Throughout the life of the lotus, the lotus leaves are indispensable for adding beauty to it. Su Shi's use of holding up the rain without a cover to say that the lotus has been drained is really vivid and expressive! Similarly, the reason why the chrysanthemum is known as the hero under the frost is not only because of its cold stamens, cold fragrance, and graceful appearance, but also because of its tall and strong branches. Only when the flowers are gone can the branches still be independent and proud of the frost, which can fully reflect the character of being alone and proud of the world. The poet's observation can be described as meticulous, and the poet's ability to grasp the essence of things is also very strong! The words and faces of these two sentences are opposite to each other, and their contents are connected. They are called "flowing pairs". "No more" and "still there" are used in one go to describe the differences between the two flowers.
Su Shi (January 8, 1037 - August 24, 1101), also known as Zizhan and Hezhong, was also known as Dongpo layman, and was known as Su Dongpo and Su Xian in the world. Han nationality, a native of Meishan, Meizhou (now part of Meishan City, Sichuan Province) in the Northern Song Dynasty. His ancestral home is Luancheng, Hebei Province. He is a famous writer, calligrapher and painter in the Northern Song Dynasty.