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Imagery in Chuang Tzu from the Perspective of Pictorial-Linguistic Semiotics

Bao Zhaohui   

  1. the Departments of Liberal Arts of Nanjing University
  • Online:2017-11-25 Published:2017-10-18
  • About author:Bao Zhaohui, Ph.D., is Associate Professor in the Departments of Liberal Arts of Nanjing University. His recent research interests cover the history of the relationship between Pre-Qin literature and image, the relationship between Chuang-tzu' words and image.
  • Supported by:
    the Construction of the Discipline of the National "Double Class": Chinese language, literature and art of Nanjing University

Abstract: This article tries to investigate the representation of the world from Chuang Tzu's language, and also to examine the ground on which Chuang Tzu's language activities contain imagery. It argues that Chuang Tzu represented the world by visualizing Tao, or the Way. The fact that literature is a form of language art provides help for describing the visualization of the world. Therefore, this determines that Chuang Tzu employs imagery for expression. Chuang Tzu gives prominence to the poetic function rather than referential function in his language during the process of linguistic expression. Such a feature emphasizes the poetic turn of image, rather than the image of notional words. In addition, Chuang Tzu is not merely a poet, but a poet philosopher. His method to utilize image is also determined by his unique identity, and connected with the generation of Tao. In particular, one part of the image representation, Ekphrasis, which is very close to imitating the practical bodily activities, is particularly favored by Chuang Tzu.

Key words: the world of visualization, verbal icon, the image of Chuang Tzu, Ekphrasis