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The Mind of John Donne: a Cognitive Approach to the Metaphysical Conceit

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The Mind of John Donne: a Cognitive Approach to the Metaphysical Conceit The Mind of John Donne: A Cognitive Approach to the Metaphysical Conceit LAW, Lok Man A Thesis Submitted in Partial Fulfillment of the Requirements for the Degree of Master of Philosophy In English (Literary Studies) The Chinese University of Hong Kong September 2011 rr. n 〕； ... ,.、-爹、、-^ i f % /i J -rl.j , . - r-i: fv.- j . 广,. , I 一 」 一： /、/ 4. f 了 ,一 - . - 丄 j v.-“>v iM Thesis/Assessment Committee Professor Simon Haines (Committee Member) Professor Julian Lamb (Supervisor) Professor Danny Leung (Chair) Professor Andrew Peter Goatly (External Examiner) Professor Clayton George Mackenzie (External Examiner) Abstract orthosis entitled: The Mind of John Donne: A Cognitive Approach to the Metaphysical Conceit Submitted by LAW Lok-man tor the degree of Master of Philosophy in English (Literary Studies) at The Chinese University of Hong Kong in September 2011 Jolin Donne's use of conceits has received contrasting criticisms from different generations of critics. It is either depreciated as a mere manifestation of cold wit or appreciated as an integration of both thoughts and emotions. In this thesis, I respond to this debate by looking at the conceits in Donne's Songs and Sonnets from a cognitive perspective. Using conceptual metaphor theory and blending theory, I argue that Donne has used different strategies in developing the intellectual aspect and the emotional aspect of his poems. This has reaffirmed his craft and brought in substantial evidence to the debate. Chapter One gives details to conceptual metaphor theory and blending theory and connects them to the discussion of metaphor and conceits. Conceptual metaphor theory claims that metaphor is not a merely linguistic phenomenon. Indeed, our mind is metaphorical in nature in integrating different experience to understand the world. Therefore, metaphor and conceits reveal one's cognitive mechanism and strategies of integrating experience. Blending theory which concerns the on-line meaning construction process and the interaction of different mental spaces plays a complementary role with conceptual metaphor theory in the linguistic analysis. Both theories provide us with a theoretical tool to unveil the cognitive mechanism of linguistic creation. Chapter Two investigates the intellectual aspect of Donne's poems and gives a cognitive account to condensed conceits and expanded conceits in Donne's poems. I reveal the strategies which Donne uses to construct the argument in a poem. Condensed conceits often exhibit an intricate pattern of blending. Expanded conceits are often developed based on a single scenario. Their meanings are conveyed through the use of different conceptual metaphors. i Chapter Three investigates the emotional aspect of Donne's poems. Kovccscs's theory of conccptual metaphor for emotions is used to reveal the underlying conccplual metaphors for emotions in Donne's poems. The intensity of emotions in a relationship, the psychological struggle and frustration of unrequited love, and the tranquillity in the unity with lover can be explained by different strategies of employing blending and conceptual metaphors for emotions. The concluding remark highlights the significance of this research and articulates other issues in dealing with the emotional aspect of Donne's poems. ii 論文搬要 歷代評論家對約翰•部恩的奇喻的評價落差甚大。他的奇喻一時被肢爲純粹冷 淡無味的巧智，或被褒爲思想和感情的完美結合。我在這論文中透過認知語言學 的理論，重新審視鄧恩的代表作中《歌與十四行詩》的奇喻，回應了歷代評論家 對它的爭論°我運用了槪念隱喻理論及整合理論分析奇喻，認爲鄧恩在詩中運用了 不同的策略，在詩歌中同時展現睿智與情感。這不但重新肯定鄧恩詩歌的地位，也 把重要的證據弓丨入辯論。 第一章介紹槪念隱喻理論及整合理論的內容。槪念隱喻理論認爲比喻並非純粹 的語言現象，而是人類的思維模式的基本特性，因此比喻及奇喻揭示了人類的認知 機制及整合經驗的策略。整合理論與槪念隱喻理論相輔相承，旨在描述人類建構意 義的過程中，各種心理空間的互動。兩個理論都爲揭示了人類的認知機制提供了理 論工具° 第二章考察鄧恩詩歌的睿知層面，展示他在詩中建立推論過程的認知策略。凝 練的奇喻往往展現精密的整合圖式；延展奇喻則往往由單一場面延展，並以不同的 槪念隱喻產生意義。 第三章考察鄧恩的詩歌的情感層面，並運用了 ZoMn Kovecses的情感槪念隱 喻理論，分析詩歌如何透過奇喻表達情感。詩中表達的關係中強烈的情感、暗戀中 的掙扎與徬徨、與愛人合而爲一的平靜都可被不同的整合策略及槪念隱喻闡釋。 結論綜合此硏究的意義，並討論鄧恩的詩歌中情感層面的延伸硏究方向。 iii Acknowledgements I would like to express my heartfelt gratitude to a few people without whom this thesis would not be accomplished. I owe my deepest gratitude to my supervisor, Prof. Julian Lamb, who guided me to appreciate the language of Donne, gave me insights in reading Donne's poems and carefully edited my drafts. I will always remember our meetings in cafes in Shatin during public holidays and our delightful conversation in discussing the thesis. I would also like to thank Dr. Crisp who inspired me to work on metaphors in metaphysical poetry from a cognitive perspective. Before I was admitted to this master program, he had already given me insights on the development of cognitive poetics as well as useful resources on conceptual metaphor theory and blending theory. His own research work also inspired me to pursue the research topic in this field. My appreciation should extend to professors in the English Department who inspired me on different issues in literary criticism and helped me in my change of study mode. I would like to thank our former Chair of Department Prof. David Parker, our Postgraduate Literature Co-ordinator Prof. David Huddart and Prof. Timothy Weiss for their help in my study. I would also like to thank the department office, especially Ms. Tracy Liang and Ms. Michelle Cheung, for all the necessary administrative work and documentation for the arrangement. Last but not least, I am grateful for my parents who give me their full support and for my fiance, Mr. Benedict Chan, who always encourages me when I am frustrated. iv Table of Content INTRODUCTION Section One: The Discussion on Donne's Conceits and Donne's Passion in His Poetry...3 Section Two: Development of Cognitive Poetics 6 Section Three: Significance of Cognitive Poetics 10 Section Four: Significance of this Research Project 13 CHAPTER ONE: CONCEPTUAL METAPHOR THEORY AND BLENDING THEORY.... 15 Section One: Theoretical Background of Metaphor 15 Part One: Metaphor as Deviation 16 Part Two: Metaphor as Ornament ] 7 Part Three: Metaphor as a Way of Understanding 19 Part Four: Metaphor and Conceit 21 Section Two: Conceptual Metaphor Theory 2I Part One: Conceptual Metaphor Theory 21 Part Two: Conceptual Metaphor Theory and Emotions 25 Section Three: Blending Theory 26 Part One: From Conceptual Metaphor Theory to Blending Theory 26 Part Two: Gregor as a Twitter User 28 Part Three: Blending and Conceit 33 Conclusion 34 CHAPTER TWO: FUNCTIONS OF DONNE'S CONCn工::::::::===::::::::::::::.•...35 Section One: Conceit in Perspectives 36 Part One: Definition and Classification of a Conceit 36 Part Two: The Mechanism of Combining Two Heterogeneous Images 38 Part Three: Functions of a Conceit in the Argumentation of a Poem 41 Part Four: Comparison Between the Rhetorical Approach and the Cognitive Approach 43 Section Two: Functions of Donne's Conceits 47 Part One: Analysis of ‘Lovers' Infiniteness' 47 Part Two: Condensed Conceits 57 Part Three: Expanded Conceits 64 Conclusion 67 CHAPTER THREE: THE PASSION IN DONNE'S CONCEITS•….68 Section One: The Emotional Aspect of Donne's Poems and the Cognitive Perspective. 69 Section Two: Conceptual Theory of Emotion in Detail 75 Part One: Kovecses's Emotion Concepts and Cognitive Model of Emotions 75 Part Two: Intensity, Passivity and Force in Romantic Love 77 Part Three: Application of Kovecses's theory to Donne's poems 79 Section Three: Donne's Expressions of Emotions 81 Part One: Passion and Intensity of Love when Love is Fierce 81 Part Two: Frustration and Attempts to Control One's Emotions 85 Part Three: Secured and Satisfied Love 89 Part Four: Conceits that Fall Outside the Stages of Emotions 94 Conclusion gy CONCLUSION ::::::::::::::::::二二^ 99 Other Issues in Donne's Poetry Concerning Emotions 100 1 INTRODUCTION John Donne's writings have endured four hundred years of scholastic examination, but new perspectives have been emerging to give insights to common readers and literary scholars of his seemingly obscure, yet enchanting poems. Along with the 'cognitive' turn of English studies in the late twentieth century, research on the rhetoric of Donne's poetry has begun a new phase. New approaches should redefine some long-standing debates in the study of Donne's poetry. One of the debates lies in a significant feature of Donne's poetry which is the heterogeneity of his imagery. Critics have long recognized it and have already used their own terminology to analyse Donne's oeuvre. However, their opinions are diverse. Donne's poetry was either highly appreciated as a way to express both thought and emotions, and as a demonstration of the metaphysical wit, or was devalued due to its obscurity and artificiality in its use of imagery. To resolve these conflicting opinions, rhetoricians in the twentieth century tried to unveil the mechanism of imagery by focusing on the process of the construction of metaphor. However, none seems to give a full and coherent picture of the mechanism of Donne's imagery. In light of blending theory and conceptual metaphor theory, which belong to the study of cognitive linguistics, Donne's imagery and his conceits can be considered results of a hidden and unconscious cognitive mechanism. According to George Lakoff and Mark Johnson, our mind is fundamentally metaphorical in nature, which means we understand one thing in terms of another (2003: 3). The significance of looking at Donne's conceits in this way is two-fold. Firstly, we can look at the hidden cognitive structure in Donne's text in order to unfold the heterogeneous yet enchanting imagery. Therefore, in this study, T attempt to respond to the debate about Donne's poetry by claiming that Donne has perfectly woven the 2 \\ il
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