The main images represented by willows in ancient poetry include using willows to say goodbye, using willows to express sorrow, using willows as beauty, using willows as a metaphor for love, etc.
1. Farewell with willow.
Liu, homophonic to "stay". The ancients often used "breaking willow" when bidding farewell, expressing the indescribable and inseparable feelings of leaving someone. The custom of "breaking willows" as a farewell was especially popular in the Tang and Song Dynasties. Therefore, "breaking willows" became a synonym for farewell.
2. With Liu Yanchou.
When people encounter sad things, the scene is dark and all thoughts are despairing. Liu Yong, a representative figure of the graceful style of poetry, is a master of expressing sorrow in willows. "The dawn breeze is blowing, the waning moon is hazy, and the willows are Yiyi." The three images of Xiaofeng, waning moon, and willows are listed to form a sad landscape, which arouses people's attention. A reverie about the poet's journey in late autumn.
3. Use softness as beauty.
The physical characteristics of willow are feminine and beautiful. "Seeing a hibiscus with a charming face, meeting a willow with a bent waist", here the beauty's body and waist are compared to willow branches, reflecting the beauty of the woman's body through the beauty of the woman's waist.
4. Use willow to symbolize love.
In ancient Chinese poetry, "willow" is a common image of lingering emotions. There are countless famous poems and sentences containing this image, such as "Next to the willow, the catkins are flying all over the neighbor's house." ”
Appreciation of poems related to willow and their translation:
1. Poetry.
Willows and trees in the east wind, green and green on the river.
2. Translation.
The rows of willow trees in the spring breeze show a green color along both sides of the moat.
3. Appreciation.
"Willows and trees in the east, green and green on the river." The description of the scene not only points out the time and place of farewell, but also exaggerates the strong emotion of farewell. "Dongmen" named the place of farewell at Qingmen, Chang'an, and "Qingqing" indicated that the color of the willows was already very green, indicating that it was late spring. "Willow" is synonymous with farewell, so the sight of willow reminds people of farewell.
Green willow trees are mixed on both sides of the Yuhe River. The seemingly peaceful environment reflects the poet's reluctance to part with his friends. And the first sentence is what you see from a distance, and the second sentence is what you see up close. In the sense of distance between far and near, the figure of the poet walking along the long street to see off his friends is reflected, which highlights the mood of being reluctant to say goodbye but having to say goodbye.