A CIT-based Interpretation Of Water Image In Ancient Chinese Poems And Lyrics

The image of water occupies an important position in traditional Chinese literature and is regarded as one of the most frequently used images in ancient Chinese poems and lyrics. The traditional researches of water image in ancient Chinese poems and lyrics are usually from the aesthetic and cultural perspectives. The development of cognitive linguistics provides a new perspective for the interpretation of poetic image in ancient Chinese poems and lyrics. This thesis aims at analyzing the water image in ancient Chinese poems and lyrics on the basis of conceptual integration theory (CIT) to show that conceptual blending is a universal cognitive mechanism having great explanatory power. It not only provides a new perspective to appreciate the water image in ancient Chinese poems and lyrics but also helps people to further understand the conceptual integration theory.