中國古代詩歌的比興和想像

Abstract

The terms 比 and 興 first appeared in the preface to Mao's Commentary on The Book of Poms (毛詩序). By 比 was meant metaphor, by 興 was meant arousing. But scholars of later generations often mistook them for allegory. This paper shows that, in fact, 比 meant to express one's ideas and feelings by means of metaphor, and 興 meant to open a discourse aroused by another situation. They were two ways of expression used in poetry. Moreover, in poetry there can often be found imaginations, some of which represent the workings of the poet's own mind, while others are borrowed from mythology. Imaginations need not be facts; they are sometimes fictitious. Through an analysis of the usage and function of metaphors and arousings which appeared in ancient Chinese poetry, this paper attempts to explain how our ancient poets described their state of mind under the stimulus of external reality. External reality is the foundation upon which metaphors, arousings, and imaginations are created. It would be misleading to assume that poets can draw up their mental outline divorced from images of reality.