The ancients believed that meaning was an internal abstract mind, just like an external concrete object; Meaning originates from the heart and is expressed through images, which are actually the sustenance of meaning.
For example, poetry and songs are twin sisters, and they are closely combined. Words are not only developed and perfected by singing, but also widely circulated, forming a kind of poetry that brings infinite fun and enjoyment to people through singing, which is the poetic image.
What are the characteristics of images?
Philosophy is the essential feature of realm image. Like Baudelaire's swan. Although the poet writes about swans, we are thinking about the human situation. Baudelaire's poetic meditation on human destiny condenses into the image of swan, making it an ideographic image.
Symbolism is the basic manifestation of literary symbolic images. For example, the leopard in Rilke. On the surface, it describes the objective image of a leopard in a cage, and the poet uses this image as a metaphor for the survival dilemma faced by mankind.
Absurdity is the image feature of literary symbolic images. For example, Beckett's Waiting for Godot describes two homeless people waiting for Godot without hope.
Solvability is the aesthetic feature of literary symbols. Such as the poem "Lost" by North Island.