A Study On The Meaning Construction Of Poems Based On The Interaction Between Metaphor And Metonymy

In cognitive linguistics, metaphor and metonymy are considered not only as two kinds of figure of speech, but also as two cognitive tools of thinking as well as means of meaning construction. Based on similarity, metaphor is viewed as the mapping of two different conceptual domains whereas metonymy is the highlighting of a salient sub-domain within one conceptual domain, with contiguity as its base.This thesis, within the framework of the interaction between metaphor and metonymy, illustrates the process of meaning construction of poems by ways of three models of interaction. The existing researches on meaning construction of languages concentrate mainly on the applying of metaphor theory and metonymy theory respectively. Compared with other forms of language, poems are more complex in its meaning construction. Metaphor or metonymy alone fails to explain the construction of the meaning of poems thoroughly and clearly. This thesis tentatively brings the models of interaction between metaphor and metonymy into the analysis of the meaning construction of poems, therefore makes a supplement to the ways of research on poems. In this way, people can comprehend the inner and deeper meaning of poems more easily and thoroughly.In chapter two, metaphor theory and metonymy theory are reviewed in a systemic way respectively, especially their cognitive mechanisms. On the basis of this, the metonymic bases of metaphor, or what we call the foundations of the interaction between the two, are explained, namely they are common experiential basis, implicature basis, category structure basis, and cultural model basis. Chapter three focuses on the explanation to the three models which are rather powerful in illustrating the interaction between metaphor and metonymy. The three models are:the "metaphtonymy" model put forward by Goossens, the conceptual interaction model put forward by Ruiz de Mendoza and the prismatic model put forward by Geeraerts.Poems are the essence of language and poems of Tang dynasty are widely regarded as the representation of Chinese poetry with the highest aesthetic value and level. Taking in many famous poems written in Tang dynasty which has won universal praise,300 Tang Poems is the most popular version of anthology of Tang poems and is broadly viewed as the best of the best. Taking this into consideration, in chapter four, poems selected from 300 Tang Poems are chosen as the data. The three models studied in chapter three are applied to analyze the process of meaning construction of these data with the emphasis being put on the "metaphtonymy" model put forward by Goossens. There are four types of interaction between metaphor and metonymy categorized in the first model, all of which are effective in the analyzing process. Among the four types, "metaphor from metonymy" is the most broadly applied. In this thesis, poems written by Li Bai, Bai Juyi and Gao Shi are analyzed of their meaning construction in line with this type of interactipn. Through explaining the metonymy serving in the source domain of the metaphor on the poem, the metaphorical meaning of the poem becomes more explicit and easy to be understood. "Metonymy from metaphor" is relatively rare but still plays a role in explaining some Tang poems. In "metaphor within metonymy", metaphor is embedded in metonymy and poets convey deeper and far-reaching metonymic meaning by way of metaphor. In "metonymy within metaphor", metonymy is embedded in metaphor and poets use metaphor to build a macroscopic linguistic background. Ruiz de Mendoza states in his model that the nature of metonymy limits it to play a subsidiary role to metaphor during the interaction. He makes a further classification of the interaction according to the location where the metonymic mapping takes place (either in the source domain or the target domain of a metaphor) and the range of the metonymic mapping (either in the whole domain or in a sub-domain). In this thesis, the meaning construction of poems written by Wang Wei and Du Mu are analyzed in line With the model by Ruiz de Mendoza. Geeraerts put forward three types of interaction between metaphor and metonymy in his prismatic model:consecutive interaction of metaphor and metonymy, parallel presence of metaphor and metonymy, interchangeability of metaphor and metonymy analyses. The meaning construction of "A SONG OF PURE HAPPINESSâ…¢" written by Li Bai is analyzed in line with Geeraerts'model.The last chapter summarizes the whole thesis and makes a conclusion:all of the three models of the interaction between metaphor and metonymy have shown their effectiveness in explaining the meaning construction of poems. The different types of interaction put forward in the three models play different roles in the explaining process. Among those types, "metaphor from metonymy" in Goossens'"metaphtonymy" model is most powerful. This is also the proof of Mendoza's view of "metonymy plays a subsidiary role to metaphor during the interaction".