A Study of Rhetorical Expressions in Shi Jing

• Main Authors: Li-wen Lee, 李麗文
• Other Authors: Zong-yang Cai
• Format: Others
• Language: zh-TW
• Published: 2006
• Online Access: http://ndltd.ncl.edu.tw/handle/92569118805920155419

碩士 === 東吳大學 === 中國文學系 === 94 === Abstract The present study, consisting of six chapters, discusses the artistry of rhetorical strategies used in Shi Jing (The Book of Odes). It analyzes the form, the content, and the motif of the work, with the approaches of summarization, induction and comparison. Chapter 1, “Introduction,” depicts the aims, the purpose, and the methodology of the present study. It is followed by a discussion of the origin and the development of previous studies on rhetoric in The Book of Odes. The chapter ends by evaluating these studies in order to provide the reader with a clear overview. Chapter 2 focuses on “material rhetorical cases”, namely expressions based on objects, situations, or events. There are five rhetorical cases: Pi yu (metaphor or figure of speech), Jie dai (substitution), Yin chen (foregrounding and contrasting), Mo xie (imitative expression), and Yin yong (quotation). Under the category of Pi yu there are “direct metaphor,” “indirect metaphor,” “abbreviated metaphor,” metonymy, and “detailed metaphor.” Under the category of Jie dai there are eight subcategories, namely “substitution based on an object’s features or the signs,” “substitute based on an item’s location or belonging,” “substitution based on an object’s author or place of production,” “substitution based on an object’s information or tool,” “substitution based on an object’s part as a whole,” and “substituting a specific object for an ordinary one.” In Yin chen, a contrast can be parallel, comparative, or paradoxical. There are five kinds of imitative expression, namely “sound-based imitation,” “visual imitation,” and “smell-based imitation,” “taste-based imitation,” “touch-based imitation,” and “imitation of mental state.” There are two types of Yin yong, namely direct and indirect quotations. Chapter 3 discusses “situational rhetorical cases”; in other words, expressions are made according to the subject’s emotions. There are five situational rhetorical cases, namely Hu gao (calling), Kua shi (hyperbole), Dao fan (reversion), She wen (interrogation), and Gan tan (exclamation). There are two kinds of Hu gao, namely human-based and object-based. In the use of Kua shi, a subject can be either overstated or understated. Dao fan can be used. In She wen, a question may be intended for an answer, to be rhetorical, or to introduce the next sentence. In the case of Gan tan, a sentence may contain an exclamation, an auxiliary or interjection, or both. Chapter 4 examines word-based rhetorical cases, namely expressions based on the formation of words. There are three types of such rhetorical use: Lei die (repetition and refrain), Jie suo (abbreviation), and Jing ce (caveat). Under the category of Lei die there are: repetition of the same words, repetition of words of similar sounds or meanings, refrain of the same sentences, and refrain of similar sentences. There are two types of Jie suo, namely combination and condensing. A caveat may be constructed with or without other rhetorical cases. Chapter 5, “Sentence-based rhetorical cases,” investigates expressions regarding the formation of sentences, including Dui ou (couplet), Pai bi (parallel structure), Ceng di (built-on sentences), Ding jen (starting a new sentence with the last word(s) or phrase of the previous sentence), and Dao zhuang (hypallage). The use of Dui ou incorporates “couplet within the sentence,” “single-sentence couplet,” “cross-sentence couplet,” and “extensive couplet (more than three sentences).” An expression using Pai bi can be made in single sentences, multiple sentences, and paragraphs. There are two kinds of Ceng di: (1) single-layer Ceng di, which can be divided into “ascendant,” “descendant,” and “comparative”; (2) multi-layer Ceng di, which can be divided into “repetitive,” “parallel,” and “cross-reference (i.e. the two elements compared are in a cause-effect relationship).” An expression using Ding jen can be made within a sentence, between two sentences, and between paragraphs. The use of Dao zhuang may be applied in order to fit the rhyming scheme, or to add some flourish to the text. In Chapter 6 the conclusion is reached in two ways. First, the aesthetic values of the above uses are evaluated in accordance with their effectiveness. Secondly, the influence of The Book of Odes on the rhetorical strategies used in later works is discussed. By examining the artistic values of language use and rhetoric in The Book of Odes, the study highlights this masterpiece’s aesthetic and academic merit.