Why Qu Yuan Likes Vanilla, Through the Sentence Analysis in Li Sao
Qu Yuan's fondness for vanilla originated from a sentence in Li Sao: "Picking chrysanthemums under the eastern fence leisurely sees Nanshan." The mountain air is good day and night, birds fly back together. There's something in it that I really want to distinguish." In this sentence, Qu Yuan felt the beauty of nature while picking chrysanthemums. At the same time, he also felt the true feelings in his heart. Here, he used "picking chrysanthemums" to describe his pursuit and cultivation. It meant that he had to constantly pursue beauty and maintain the purity and innocence of his heart. Vanilla was also one of Qu Yuan's favorite things. Vanilla symbolized nobleness, beauty, purity, and nobility. It was one of the important symbols in Chinese traditional culture. In Li Sao, Qu Yuan mentioned the taste and fragrance of vanilla, indicating that the good quality he pursued also needed to be achieved through continuous cultivation and self-cultivation. In Li Sao, Qu Yuan expressed his pursuit and self-cultivation by describing the herb, and also expressed his love and pursuit for beautiful things.