Tracing back to the source, this phenomenon is the product of politics.
In 1970s (knocking on the blackboard is the key point), for some political purposes, Liang Xiao and others published a series of articles aimed at poets such as Li Shangyin and Du Fu. As for Li Shangyin, they categorically stated that all Li Shangyin's poems have political metaphors and political appeals, and have nothing to do with love.
These poems have progressive political content and unique artistic achievements, and they are political lyric poems produced from the political struggle at that time. However, for a long time, the progressive political tendency of these poems has not been correctly expounded because of the wanton distortion of scholars and literati of the landlord class and the bourgeoisie. -Liang Xiao's On Li Shangyin's Untitled Poems
Normal academic arguments are not in this tone. As for who is behind the pen name Liang Xiao, you can understand it to a certain extent. With this definition, the poem "Spring silkworms must weave until they die" has nothing to do with love. Naturally, it is necessary to praise laborers and builders, including teachers, which is almost a proper term later. And "Silkworms will weave until they die in spring" turned out to be a love poem? Of course it is. Not only that, there is also a special term called "double-meaning poem", because "silk" is not only "silk", but also "thinking".
The backbone of silk thought has played a lot in Wei and Jin Dynasties. For example, the Chinese Valentine's Day Female Song:
Change is endless, a farewell anniversary.
Silkworms don't cocoon, but hang silk day and night.
On the surface, silkworms don't work, but in fact, people are thinking about filaments.
Not only Li Shangyin himself, but also many poets in the Tang Dynasty played with this stalk. Pi Rixiu's poem "Looking at the Wind from Lu";
The stone carving book keeps hatred because of the sadness after parting.
Mo Yan's cocoon is very thin. He still has many ideas.
It's no use just writing the word "silk" and trying to make the transition.
Look at Li Shangyin's Untitled again:
It was a long time ago that I met her, but since we separated, the time has become longer, the east wind is blowing, and a hundred flowers are blooming.
Silkworms in spring will weave until they die, and candles will drain the wick every night.
Xiao Jing, but the clouds change, but she dares to sing with the cold moonlight in her evening.
There are not many roads to Pengshan. Oh, Bluebird, listen! -Give me what she said! .
Apart from silk stalks, whether it's a brief encounter or a candle burning to ashes, they are very typical love poems, especially the sentence "Pengshan has no way". I once said that it can be compared with his "Longshan is not far from Wan Li", which is exactly his two attitudes towards feelings. I won't go into details here. If you have to misinterpret political poems, I'm afraid you didn't even pick up sesame seeds and lied to yourself that you picked up a watermelon. For thousands of years, Li Shangyin's two poems are basically regarded as love poems, and there are not many examples to describe dedication. Using this image to express his meaning is also a basic literary means, which is understandable. There is no need to deny the original intention of his love poems.
The connotation of language is constantly developing and enriching. Until today, people generally use silkworm and wax torch to describe teachers, and there is nothing wrong.