陳千武詩作特別強調意象策略，常見密林、太陽、媽祖、母親等符號，尤其在 1960、1970年代戒嚴時期出現系列媽祖詩的想像，從原型到變異，隱喻多元而豐厚的底蘊，如記錄鄉土信仰、諷刺社會腐敗、批判政治威權等；而其核心精神就在於建構烏托邦式的理想生活境界，這種烏托邦的想像與構築，不僅成為詩人追求理想境界的最佳藍本，烏托邦背後的主題意旨，更是為詩作提供現實關懷的題材資源，以及極富象徵意味的藝術創作空間。本論文主要運用傳記式批評方法，參佐詩人的生平經驗、創作詩觀與時代考察，以討論「媽祖」符號的生成背景，同時解讀文本的隱喻向度與寫作意圖，期待嘗試開創更多元、更深入的探觸視角，並評價在臺灣現代詩發展史上的意義。

Chen Qianwu’s poetry is well known for its frequent use of imagery. Symbols such as dense woods, sun, Mazu, and mother often abound. Particularly, the “Mazu” series, written in the 1960s and 1970s when Taiwan was under martial law, is an excellent example of how a literary symbol is used both in its archetypal form and variations to embed diverse and rich cultural suggestions; for instance, to document local beliefs, satirize corruption in society and criticize political authoritarianism. At its core is the poet’s idealistic longing for the building of a utopian life. Such utopian imaginings and constructions are the most fitting blueprint for the poet’s idealism; more importantly, their underlying motifs become the inspiration for the poetry’s real-world concerns, and create a highly symbolic artistic space for the poet. By analyzing the poet’s life, his view of poetic creativity, and his times, this paper discusses the genesis of the “Mazu” symbol and interprets the text in terms of its metaphors and intentions, in order to facilitate a more diverse and thorough perspective, as well as to evaluate its significance in the development of Taiwan’s modern poetry.