I believe many people have heard of this poem more or less, especially the last two sentences, which can be called the famous sentence of peony!
The first two sentences of this poem describe two different flowers respectively. Although peony is beautiful and delicate, it seems a little too enchanting and not elegant; Although the lotus in the pond is dignified and beautiful, it makes people feel that it stands alone, like an independent Leng Yan fairy, without any emotional color.
Only the peony flower can be called a real national beauty, which makes people feel that she is beautiful but not enchanting, dignified but not ruthless and cold. When it blooms, that kind of beauty is enough to surprise the whole Luoyang city!
Liu Yuxi's "Appreciating Peony" represented people's aesthetics at that time to a certain extent, and also described peony from the public's perspective. In the eyes of people at that time, peony flower was a symbol of wealth, representing people's pursuit of power and desire. But at the same time, peony flowers also have a unique aesthetic feeling.
In this poem, the poet not only expressed his love and praise for peony flowers, but also expressed his appreciation for the prosperity of the Tang Dynasty. When people feel the beauty and richness of peony flowers, they can also imagine the bustling scene of Beijing in the flowering season.
More importantly, due to the admiration of Liu Yuxi's poem, peony flower is still a famous flower that people talk about until today and has become the national flower of our country today!