In On the Love of the Lotus, Zhou Dunyi likens the lotus to the gentleman among flowers.
Tips
culture
It sets three flowers side by side: the chrysanthemum, loved by 陶渊明, is the recluse; the peony, loved by everyone since the Tang, stands for wealth and rank; the lotus, which 出淤泥而不染 'rises from the mud unstained', is the gentleman.
usage
说 here is a classical essay form, 'a discourse on', as in 马说 and 师说.
