Appreciation of poems about chrysanthemums in "Chrysanthemum·Drunk Chrysanthemum"
Lin Zexu
The fresh frost on the lapel reflects the traces of wine, and the yellow flowers are relatively speechless.
It was almost sunset at the foot of Nanshan Mountain, when a man in white came to the door.
This quatrain is titled "Drunken Chrysanthemum". It can be seen from the content of the poem that it means drinking wine against chrysanthemums and getting drunk in front of them. In this poem, the poet uses line drawing to describe the scene of the hermit drinking wine and admiring chrysanthemums. The elegant colors and tranquil atmosphere highlight the hermit's elegant and aloof character and reflect the poet's yearning and pursuit.
"The fresh frost on the lapel reflects the traces of wine, and the yellow flowers are relatively silent." The first two lines of the poem describe the scene of the hermit admiring chrysanthemums while drinking wine alone. Autumn is coming, the first frost has fallen, and it is the season when chrysanthemums are in full bloom. A hermit put a wine chrysanthemum in front of him and drank while looking at it, silently admiring the chrysanthemums. "The new frost on the lapel reflects the traces of wine." The hermit's long gown is stained with traces of wine. The frost and cold are accompanied by the smell of wine. It seems that he has been drinking for a long time. Are the wine marks on the lapels splashed while drunk, or after being drunk? We don't need to investigate. In short, it is time to drink alone. "Yellow flowers are relatively silent." Yellow flowers are chrysanthemums. "Huainanzi Shi Zexun" says: "Chrysanthemums have yellow flowers." Therefore, people often call chrysanthemums yellow flowers. "Tan" here should mean "indifferent" and "tranquil and few desires". The hermit is opposite to the yellow flower, and the color is light and elegant. He was silent and admiring the chrysanthemums carefully. The atmosphere was peaceful. The three words "speechless" vividly describe the hermit's demeanor and the surrounding atmosphere when appreciating the chrysanthemums. They reflect the hermit's leisurely and comfortable mood with no other thoughts. The description is vivid and expressive. This man drinking wine can be understood as a hermit, and can also be understood as the poet himself.
It seems a bit monotonous and desolate for a person to enjoy wine and chrysanthemums. In the last two sentences, the poet's writing changed and opened up a new artistic conception for us: "It was getting late at the foot of Nanshan Mountain, and a man in white came to the door." In the evening, another hermit - the man in white came to the door. , so it’s no longer just one person enjoying the wine and chrysanthemums, and the monotonous and desolate atmosphere is no longer boring. Tao Yuanming, who is famous for his love for chrysanthemums, wrote in his poem "Drinking": "While picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence, I leisurely see the Nanshan Mountains. The mountain air is beautiful day and night, and the birds return to each other." "The sun is setting under the Nanshan Mountains", obviously It incorporates the content and interest of Tao Yuanming's poem "During Wine". As the sun sets in the west, among the beautiful mountains, chrysanthemum pickers return under the dusk mist. "There just happened to be a man in white coming to the door." This man in white was naturally the chrysanthemum picker who returned from Nanshan. The ancients called people without fame and fortune a man in white. This "man in white" who returned from picking chrysanthemums had the same aspirations as Tao Yuanming, and was naturally a hermit. He toured the mountains to pick chrysanthemums during the day, and came back with chrysanthemums in the evening. He wanted to find like-minded people to share the joy of chrysanthemum appreciation, so he came to the door of the hermit who was drinking wine and admiring chrysanthemums. One is drinking wine in front of the chrysanthemums, and the other has just returned from picking chrysanthemums. The chrysanthemums connect them closely. When they come together, do they drink chrysanthemums or write poems while drinking? There is no need to guess too much. In short, they will definitely be immersed in the joy of admiring chrysanthemums. It seems that there is no need to be rigid about whether this sentence refers to actual meaning or suspense, but it might as well be interpreted literally.
From one person drinking alone to two people enjoying the chrysanthemum together, the scene of chrysanthemum appreciation has changed, and the content of the poem has become richer, but the tranquil atmosphere of the poem has not fundamentally changed. The "man in white" does not push the door, let alone knock, but just "comes to the door". The poet tries his best to avoid enthusiasm and noise. The atmosphere before and after the whole poem is harmonious and consistent. This atmosphere is in perfect harmony with the hermit's elegant and aloof character. It should be said that the combination of description and lyricism in this poem is perfect.