Abstract: Natural-object metaphor is included in the metaphor system of Chinese literary criticism, with its historical progress of development and evolvement. Natural-object metaphor has its intrinsic theoretical basis and is connected with the genetic theories of Chinese literature, Chinese aesthetic tradition, and the epistemology and life view of Chinese philosophy. The natural-object metaphor has significance in many aspects of literary criticism. It connects the cultural world and the cosmological world, enriches literary expression and aesthetics, and links literary criticism and art criticism, which reflects the life consciousness and the lyric spirit in Chinese literary criticism and traditional aesthetics.

Key words: nature, metaphor, Chinese literary criticism