The so-called image of the ancients has various uses, but it has one thing in common, that is, it must be presented as an image. That kind of pure conceptual reasoning and straightforward lyricism can't constitute an image. Therefore, it can be said that the elements on which images exist are images and objects.
Image is objective, it does not depend on human existence, nor does it change because of people's emotions. But once the image enters the poet's artistic conception, it takes on the poet's subjective color. At this time, it should be processed in two aspects: on the one hand, it should be washed and screened by the poet's aesthetic experience to meet the poet's aesthetic ideal and interest; On the other hand, through the combination and infiltration of the poet's thoughts and feelings, it penetrates into the poet's personality and interest. After these two aspects of processing, the image into the poem is the image. Poet's aesthetic experience and personality interest are the contents of image meaning. Therefore, it can be said that image is an objective object with subjective feelings, or it is a subjective feeling expressed by means of objective objects.
For example, the word "plum" means something objective, with shape, color and certain image. When a poet writes it into his works and blends it into his own personality and aesthetic ideal, it becomes the image of poetry. Due to the repeated use of ancient poets, the image of "Mei" is fixed as lofty, fragrant, clean, proud of snow and Ao Shuang's interest.
Images can be divided into five categories: natural, such as astronomy, geography, animals, plants and so on; Social life, such as war, official travel, fishing and hunting, weddings and funerals, etc. ; Human's own, such as limbs, facial features, internal organs, psychology, etc. ; Refers to human creation, such as buildings, utensils, decorations, cities, etc. ; People's novels, such as immortals, ghosts, immortals, the underworld and so on.
An image can form many images with different meanings and interests. Images composed of "clouds", such as "lonely clouds", bear the loneliness of the poor and the lonely. Tao Yuanming's ode to the poor: "All ethnic groups have their own support, and they come alone." Du Fu's Tourists: "Lonely clouds also travel in groups, and immortals return." "Warm clouds" have the feeling of spring. Luo Yin's "Send to the North": "The warm clouds are scattered and the horse crosses the Weihe Bridge." "Stop the Cloud" carries the thoughts of relatives and friends. Tao Yuanming's "Stop the Cloud": "When the cloud stops, it will rain, eight tables will faint, and the road will be blocked." Xin Qiji's "He Xinlang": "I scratch my head at the east window and want to stop poetry from a distance. At this time, it is delicious. " Images composed of "willow", such as "willow", are full of parting thoughts. "The willows are powerless to smoke from the kitchen", which is a careless and tired image. "A thousand weak willows droop, and a hundred wandering warblers build chapters around them." This image bears the poet's early sense of solemnity. The same image, because of the different feelings of integration, constitutes a completely different image.
Poets can exaggerate the characteristics of an image to enhance the artistic effect of poetry, such as White Hair and How the Yellow River Water Moves Out of the Sky. You can also transfer the characteristics of another image to this image, such as: "I am worried about the bright moon, and I will follow you until the night." "Cong Ju's eyes are in tears, and the lonely boat is the heart of hometown." "If you grow a heart and hang up your horse's head, you can't sleep without a pillow." These poems are all about the "heart", and the heart can't be separated from the body, but Li Bai's "worry" entrusts the bright moon, Du Fu's "homesickness" is a lonely boat, and Qin Taoyu's return to his hometown hangs on the horse's head. These images all have properties that "heart" does not have.
When a poet forms an image, he can also use an image as the starting point of association to create things that don't exist in the world. Most of the ghosts in Li He's poems belong to this category. The torches are all on, but Li He said, "Paint torches to welcome new people." Everything in the underworld is upside down. "Remembering a gentleman is like lead water", and lead tears do not exist in the world. But since it is the tears of the golden fairy, it can also be lead tears.
In a word, image is the basis of image, but image is not an objective mechanical imitation of image. From objects to images is an artistic creation.