Conceptual Integration Of Seamus Heaney’s Poems From Narrative Focalizations

The conceptual integration theory, one of the important theories in cognitive linguistics, has a strong power in the interpretation of literature, translation, science, etc. However, for the purpose of the in-depth analysis of the focalizations in poems, studies on the combination of this theory and narrative focalizations need to be strengthened. Based on the conceptual integration theory and the characteristics of narrative focalizations, the conceptual integration models of narrative focalizations are built up in this thesis. Some poems written by Seamus Heaney, a famous Irish poet and the winner of the Noble Prize in Literature, are chosen as exemplifications so as to discuss narrative focalizations in Heaney’s poems and the mighty power of the conceptual integration models of focalizations on the explanation of the shifts of focalizations as well as the focalization itself.The conceptual integration networks, as the core of conceptual integration theory, include simple networks, mirror networks, single-scope networks and double-scope networks. Previous studies on the poems mainly focused on the analysis of its poetic images or translations on the basis of the four basic sub-networks. Few researches have been made on the integration of narrative focalizations and its applications in poems with the aid of multi-scope integration networks. According to the features of narrative focalizations and the operation mechanism contained in the double-scope and multi-scope networks, this thesis puts forward three basic models of the conceptual integration of focalizations namely integration model with recurring pattern, integration model with reblending pattern and integration model with parallel pattern. And these three models are respectively analyzed with the exemplifications of Heaney’s three poems, i.e., Follower, The Barn and A kite for Michael and Christopher. Meanwhile, more poems like Blackberry Picking, Personal Helicon and St Kevin and the Blackbird are exemplified on the levels of the shift of focalizations as well as narration and focalization.Through the research on the construction of models and its applications in poems, the conclusion can be expressed from four aspects. Firstly, there are connections between conceptual integration theory and narrative focalizations in terms of mental spaces. Narrative focalizations can be integrated in the conceptual integration networks and give rise to the emergent structure which is considered as the key to the analysis of both narrative focalizations and the shift of focalizations. Secondly, three integration models with recurring pattern, reblending pattern and parallel pattern are correspondent to three types of narration. It is appropriate to employ the integration model with recurring pattern into the interpretation of the text with the first-person retrospective focalization. The integration model with reblending pattern can better explain the phenomenon that the narrator’s focalization is temporarily taken over by the character’s focalization. The integration model with parallel pattern emphasizes the coexistence of different focalizations. Thirdly, these three conceptual integration models are conducive to revealing the shift of focalizations and the corresponding effects. Lastly, in Heaney’s composition of poems, the unique narrative focalizations are employed in the management of the narrative distance in order to enhance poetic expressiveness.