Communications in Humanities Research ISSN: 2753-7072
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Research Article

The Moon and Its Emotions: A Comparative Study of the Symbol of "Moon" in Chinese and Western Poetry

Xinyue WangYunnan Minzu University*

* Corresponding author: [email protected]

Abstract

This article examines the moon as a poetic image across Chinese and Western traditions, treating affect (e.g., longing and solitude) as culturally mediated rather than universally fixed. We read representative texts to compare two recurring orientations: Chinese poems often make the moon a hinge for interior introspection and ethical reflection, whereas many Western poems stabilize meaning through concrete description and naturalistic framing. These are tendencies, not binaries; both corpora also contain counterexamples that complicate the contrast. Situating image use within each tradition’s aesthetic priorities, the analysis shows how shared symbolism acquires different weights, producing convergences at the level of affect yet divergence in the mode of representation.

Keywords: Moon imagery; physical sensation theory; imitation theory; artistic conception theory; typology
Published: April 7, 2025
DOI: 10.54254/2753-7064/2025.21767
Volume: CHR Vol.53
pp. 73-80
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