呂本中藉歌詠木芙蓉花以抒己志，也呈現他對女性命運的觀點。本文經由解析呂本中〈木芙蓉〉詩來探討宋代的詩學創作理論。宋人紛紛提出創作論時，呂本中提出「活法」。認為作詩要有規矩而能變化，這與東坡「出新意於法度之中」有點相似；與山谷「點鐵成金」精神也相通。楊萬里卻是實踐「活法」最成功的人，只是呂本中的「活法」著重在對古人學問的悟入，楊萬里的「活法」就是在大自然中尋覓詩材，就是要在詩意上尋求更深一層的魅力。若是投影到江西詩派詩學理論的話，呂本中的〈木芙蓉〉詩還是被讚許為比王安石同樣詩題的詩還好的作品。

Ly Pan Tsung (呂本中) presented his personality by praising the Cotton Rose and show his feminist view of fate off. By analyzing the poem of 〈Cotton Rose〉, we study the poetry theory of Sung Dynasty. Among many of it in Sung Dynasty, Ly Pan Tsung revealed the "Alive method". He considered that t good poem must "beyond the rules after obeying the rules". This is similar to Su Sue (蘇軾) and near to "the iron touched turned gold" of Huang Ting Jian (黃庭堅) also. But Yiang Wuan Lie (楊萬里) was the most famous man to practical executing the "Alive Method". The "Alive Method" of Ly Pan Tsung is difference from Yiang Wuan Lie's. The former was claimed an apprehension of learning and the latter was claimed finding materials of poet from nature. Owning to near to the poetic theory of "jiang xi sh pai (江西詩派)", Ly Pan Tsung was praised enthusiastically by them. The 〈Cotton Rose〉 poet of Ly Pan Tsung was regarded to be better than the same poem which was written by Wuan Ann Shie (王安石) in his (Ly Pan tsung's) fan's eyes.