Motif in fine arts is an important source of musical meaning.This paper puts forward a proposition of “ musicalization of the motif ” through interpreting analytically the intrinsic connection between the devices of musical topic in Mahler's Sixth Symphony and the “dance of death”in visual arts and literature by applying the method of musical topic theory,which aims to elaborate the concept of musical form to Mahler's symphonies and establish a research framework to explain the relationship between pure instrumental music and extra-musical meaning.