In classical Chinese literature, great importance has long been attached to the depiction of butterflies. Ancient texts contain narrative elements such as “Butterfly Dance,” “Butterfly Dream” and “Transformation into a Butterfly,” which, at the semantic level, form three main and relatively stable narrative types: the joy of contemplation, transformation through breaking the cocoon, and selfless, devoted love. These narrative modes developed gradually and in close mutual interdependence, while remaining deeply rooted in human nature, human society, and even interpersonal relationships. This paper conducts a retrospective analysis of extant literary works to trace the origins, characteristic features and cultural content associated with the butterfly image in Chinese classical literature. Furthermore, it also offers a multidimensional interpretation of this motif across different eras, cultural contexts, and individual authorial styles within the broader development of classical literature.
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