柳的原型意象初探

The Archetype Images of the Willow

柳作为一种原型意象,蕴涵的丰富非其它意象可比。综合起来看,至少有三种:一是象征离别,蕴含别时的依依不舍之情,别后的绵绵相思之苦。古代有折柳送行人的习俗,诗人多采用寄情于景,情景交融的手法表现。二是用杨柳象征春天,柳眼、柳芽、柳丝、柳叶、柳花、柳絮,皆是诗人吟咏的对象。三是以柳喻人,寄寓身世之感。既有男性诗人用以比拟心目中美好的女性形象,也有女性自比自叹,自抒胸怀。

As an archetype image, the willow has far more images than many other archetype images. On the whole, it has three types. First, it can be used to express the unwillingness of departure of the lasting painful yearning between lovers after separating. In ancient times, it was a custom to break off a willow branch while seeing somebody off. And poets usually implied the feelings by describing some scenes related to the willow in their poems. Second, the willow is used to indicate the spring. The willow hole, the willow burgeon, the willow twig, the willow leave, the willow flower and the willow catkin are the objects which poets used to chant. Third, the willow is sometimes used to compare to a person who lives away from home. Besides, a man poet may compare the beautiful woman the he loves to a willow and a woman may compare herself to a willow to show the feeling of pity for herself.