Meaning Construction of Personification in Discourse Based on Conceptual Integration Theory

This article deals with meaning construction of personification in discourse from the standpoint of conceptual integration theory by drawing on examples from literary works, textbooks, other scholars’ articles and even websites. The definition, classification, linguistic structures and realization forms of personification are also discussed. Relatively detailed analyses of meaning construction of different personifications in discourse are provided by making use of different conceptual integration network models. Meaning construction of personification is a very complex process. Conceptual integration theory has very powerful explanatory forces for the meaning construction of personifications in discourse.