To Liu Jingwen
- Poetry of Su Shi

Written at Hangzhou,where the poet had been appointed governor the year before.

Liu Jingwen (1033-1092) was an elderly official whom the poet came to know in Hangzhou.

The landscape, represented here with the withered flowers and the trees laden with fruits, could be right there and then in front of the two friends, or more, while they were catching up at a pavilion by a pond, a meeting with food and drinks served and enriched with poems, paintings, and music, as being often the case with social gathering in the Song’s gentry class. The symbolic message is clearly revealed by carefully choosing lotus and Chrysanthemum which suggest purity, courage and noble spirit, while oranges and tangerines are often associated with good luck and prosperity. We can feel the poet’s optimistic vibes towards the ups and downs in life and his efforts to inspire his friend through hard times, encouraging him to maintain his pure and noble spirit like lotus and chrysanthemum. The gist of the poem connotes a deeper philosophical understanding that by changing your perspective, you may dramatically find a positive outlook even at a most stressful time.