视觉诗Me up at does多模态意义的构建

Opinions about ”visual poetry” have differed among traditional literary critics. After providing a brief review of deficiencies of the hitherto text-based analyses of such poems, the writer proposes tentatively a model of multimodal approach to visual poems based upon the theory of systemic functional grammar and the theory of multimodality. The e. e cummings' poem ”Me up at does” is taken as an example in the study because it has seldom been chosen to be analyzed in this way. It is analyzed following a strict procedure in the study, namely, multimodal decomposition, mono-modal meaning construe, and multimodal meaning integration. The particular focuses of the study are laid on the following aspects: (1) the construe of representational meaning, interactive meaning, and compositional meaning embodied in the visual modality of the poem; (2) the analyses of ideational function, interpersonal function, and textual function presented in the verbal modality of the poem; (3) and the integration of meaning textured in the poem. It is proved by the study that multimodal approach proves a systemic and a more thorough way in interpreting such poems. Meanwhile, it further verifies the fact that multimodal analytic approach to language integrates language and language related resources. Thereafter, it makes discourse interpretation more comprehensive and approximative. Hopefully, the provoking result of this study will inspire further studies on multimodal approach to visual poetry.