Analysis of the Symbolism of Blue in Contemporary Mongolian Poetry

Abstract This study examines the symbolic usage of the color blue in contemporary Mongolian poetry, analyzing a corpus of 2,217 poems by 264 poets between 1921 and 2003 through the theoretical frameworks of Northrop Frye’s five-stage theory of literary symbolism and Charles Sanders Peirce’s triadic semiotic model. The research analyzes 177 instances of blue color imagery from 120 poems by 74 Mongolian poets, revealing 23 distinct lexical variants of blue terminology in the Mongolian language. The study employs a systematic categorization approach, identifying 10 semantic categories ranging from sky/heavens (63 instances, 36 %) to psychological expressions (four instances, 2 %). The analysis demonstrates that blue symbolism in Mongolian poetry operates across multiple levels – from literal descriptions of natural phenomena to profound archetypal representations of Mongolian cosmology, national identity, and spiritual transcendence. Key findings reveal that blue functions not merely as a chromatic descriptor but as a complex semiotic system deeply embedded in Mongolian cultural consciousness. The color serves as a bridge between traditional Tengristic beliefs (particularly the reverence for the Eternal Blue Sky) and contemporary literary expression, while simultaneously adapting to modern psychological, existential, and aesthetic dimensions.