Metaphors In Shakespeare’s Sonnets

This thesis tries to explore all the metaphors in the 154 sonnets by Shakespeare in detail, and to make up a glossary and analysis of these metaphors in concern so as to find out the tendency and Shakespeare’s preference in use of metaphors. The research objective is to help readers better understand Shakespeare’s sonnets and to provide a reference for other scholars to research further.The research question to be addressed in the study is to find out as many metaphors as possible in Shakespeare’s sonnets, to analyze and finally to give a glossary. The thesis will borrow four experts’ theories to explain the reason why language has and needs metaphors as well as why poetry has and needs metaphors too.The four theories are the universality of conceptual metaphor by Lakoff and Johnson,inadequacy of language by Davidson, the metaphor theory of genius by Aristotle, and Richards’ study of metaphor.This research has found out 658 metaphors in the 154 Shakespeare’s sonnets by referring to various Chinese versions and interpretations. Then the author classified all these metaphors in terms of concept embodied in each metaphor. In addition, with data analysis, the author showed Shakespeare’s preference in using some metaphors in his sonnets. Also the data analysis testified universality of Lakoff and Johnson and novelty of Shakespeare’s use of metaphor. To show the data more clearly, the thesis listed some tables which summarized the deep concept embodied in each category of metaphors. Consequently, a glossay of all these metaphors was made.