Abstract: In the structure of life, "bone" is positioned between the inside and the outside of life structure, taking the special position of the inner side of the outside and the outer side of the inside. In The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, Liu Xie's concept of "wind and bone" is composed with multiple combinations of analogies of bone to analog different forms of the overall structure of writing. Main types include the following. First, "bone and flesh-skin (or hair)" is used to refer to the duality of "intent (concept) and words (language)," with "bone" indicating the concept of writing. Secondly, in the writing structure of "spirit, bone-marrow, flesh-skin and voice-air" which is used as an analogue to "emotions, literary quotation, diction and rhythm," "bone" refers in particular to "literary quotation" which is on the outside of affections. Liu Xie was the first to combine the two words "wind" and "bone" into one phrase in the section "Wind and Bone." In the section "Wind and Bone," where the two characters "wind" and "bone" are combined into a phrase for the first time, Liu Xie put forward the combination "wind, bone and embellishment" to refer to "emotions, unadorned words and figurative language." In this combination, "bone" refers to unadorned words. Therefore, Liu Xie could promote his ideal literary writing that had unadorned words to convey the theme as the "bone," emotions to carry the "wind" and embellished words to achieve the style.

Key words: The Literary Mind and the Carving of Dragons, bone, wind and bone, life structure, writing structure