Science in Poetry
1. Knowledge of References
The green mountains on both sides of the Taiwan Strait rise opposite each other,
The solitary sail is coming from the sun.
——"Looking at Tianmen Mountain"? Li Bai
Interpretation:
The green mountains on both sides of the strait face each other, and the beautiful scenery is indistinguishable. A small boat sailed slowly from the place where the sun rose.
Scientific explanation:
The poet makes static things produce dynamic beauty. "The green mountains rise relative to each other" is in motion, using the boat as a reference. The solitary sail is in motion relative to the sun, using the sun as a reference.
2. Biological knowledge
Luohong is not a heartless thing.
It turns into spring mud to protect flowers.
——"Miscellaneous Poems of Jihai Part 5"? Gong Zizhen
Interpretation:
The fallen flowers falling from the branches are not ruthlessly floating, but It turns into spring soil and nourishes new flowers and branches.
Scientific explanation:
The organic matter in fallen leaves is decomposed by bacteria and fungi to produce various inorganic nutrients which are absorbed by the roots. Therefore, materials are constantly recycled in the ecosystem.
The garden is full of spring scenery and can’t be contained.
A branch of red apricot comes out of the wall.
——"A visit to the garden is not worth it"? Ye Shaoweng
Interpretation:
How can the beautiful spring scenery in the garden be contained, a branch of red apricot blossom has already poked out The wall comes.
Scientific explanation:
The physiological effects of auxin. "Red apricots coming out of the wall" reflects the phototropism of plants. The reason is that the auxin is more distributed on the backlight side under the stimulation of sunlight (unilateral light) outside the wall. In this way, the cells on the backlit side grow longitudinally faster than the cells on the light side, causing the stem to bend toward the slower growing side, that is, toward the light source.
3. Meteorological knowledge
Good rain knows the season, and spring will happen.
Sneak into the night with the wind, moisturizing things silently.
——"Joyful Rain on a Spring Night"? Du Fu
Interpretation:
Good rain seems to choose the right time and fall in the spring when all things sprout. Accompanied by the gentle breeze, it quietly enters the night, silently nourishing all things on the earth.
Scientific explanation:
When the front is active, the warm and moist air flow is rising, the temperature continues to decrease, and the water vapor will cool and condense, forming rainfall. When a warm front passes through, it will be warm and humid, the temperature will rise, the air pressure will drop, and the weather will turn to clouds and rain. It embodies the beauty of rhythm and cycle.
April in the human world is full of beauty,
The peach blossoms in the mountain temple are beginning to bloom.
——"Peach Blossoms in Dalin Temple" by Bai Juyi
Interpretation:
In April, all the flowers have withered, but in the ancient temple deep in the mountains, the peach blossoms have just begun to bloom. .
Scientific explanation:
Deep mountains have high altitude and low temperatures, so flowers bloom later. Generally, for every 100 meters of altitude increase, the temperature drops by about 0.6°C, and the blooming time of peach blossoms lags 20 to 30 days, so the phenology on the mountain is about a month later than down the mountain. The poem refers to being transcendent and far away from the worldly world, and not conforming to the secular world.
It rains heavily during the Qingming Festival.
Pedestrians on the road feel like dying.
——"Qingming" by Du Mu
Interpretation:
During the Qingming Festival, drizzle falls one after another, and all the pedestrians on the road are in despair.
Scientific explanation:
As winter turns to spring, the force of cold air gradually weakens, and the warm and humid air over the ocean begins to move northward. Before and after Qingming Festival, warm and cold air often meet, resulting in continuous rainy weather.