Image Mappings And Realization Of Artistic Conceptions In Nalan’s Poetry

Fauconnier’s mapping theory came from mathematics. This theory has become an essential part of cognitive poetics since its appearing and being applied in literary arts. The three kinds of mappings—the projection mappings, the pragmatic function mappings, and the schematic mappings—are significant cognitive mechanisms and approaches of realizing the artistic conception in classical Chinese poetry. The projection mappings, which are based on the similarities between two domains, project partial characteristics of one domain onto another. The pragmatic function mappings can be applied when one object is connected with another in the same cognitive domain in accordance with their cognitive relevance. When the concrete conceptions of one situation can be matched with every position in a schema, the schematic mappings work.Imagery, the basic element of the classical poem research, is an integrated part in producing process and aesthetic appreciation of classical poetry. Compared with those poems of Tang Dynasty and Song Dynasty which enjoy high reputation and attract many critics to appreciate, Qing Poetry tends to be paid less attention to. On the theoretical basis of mapping theory, the aim of this thesis is to bring the theoretical framework of mapping theory to the cognitive interpretation of classical Chinese poetry.The first chapter includes an introduction to the background information about classical Chinese poetry, Ci-poems, mapping theory, cognitive poetics, and Nalan Xingde’s poems, the necessity and importance of this study. How the thesis is organized is also covered in the first chapter. In chapter two, the previous research achievements of cognitive linguistics, image mapping, and Ci-poems is demonstrated. The following three parts, Chapter Three, Chapter Four, and Chapter Five, are the body sections of this thesis. The third chapter exhibits the projection mappings in the realization of artistic conceptions in Nalan poetry. The following chapter deals with the pragmatic function mappings in the realization of artistic conceptions in Nalan poetry. Chapter Five focuses on the last type of mapping, schematic mappings in the realization of artistic conceptions in Nalan poetry. Chapter Six draws a conclusion about these three image mappings and their manifestations in the process of realizing artistic conceptions in Nalan Xingde’s poems.