김창흡의 진아(眞我) 탐색과 시적 형상화 연구

Abstract

The self-image present in Kim Chang-heup's poems reflects the boundaries acquired in the journey to pursue the truth. The self-discovered actuality and the self-image manifested in the process of its quest are designed to deliver the excitement of the scene depicted in the journey, and therefore, we see their vibrant energy and an expression of their foundation adopt unique styles. The self-exploration portrayed in Kim Chang-heup's poems, instead of displaying complete satisfaction with the reality, depicts its movement and expansion towards the utopia, with mobile means such as ships, horses, walking sticks, etc. used as images representing the self. Also, depending on the progress of self-exploration, notions such as hiking, towers, etc. represent the will to advance upwards, whereas gateways, a threshold, etc. symbolize the boundaries that separate secular and ideal spaces while simultaneously functioning as doorsteps leading to the ideal world. The truth captured within such a self-search is that 'a change is the world’s actual state’, and what is essential in the process of realizing the true self is the freedom of the mind uninhibited by any externalities. Kim Chang-heup articulates such notions of shapeless changes and flexibility through the images of mindlessness and liberty inherent in clouds, fish, cicadas, cranes, and so on. In order to discover and face the true self and the actuality of the world, mindlessness and the pure truth must be achieved first. In Kim Chang-heup's poems, the pure true self distinctly uncovers itself in the presence of pristine white snow, ponds, spring water, etc. or under the light of the moon and lanterns that illuminate the world. The true self, which radiates bright light akin to transparent water, innocent eyes, or clear moonlight, reveals the state in which the distinction between the object and the agent is dismantled and the two are unified. Empty shacks, a burial chamber, an empty boat, thatched cottage, etc. are the embodiment of the true self in which the self - the agent - dissipates and becomes united with the object. As such, the self-image described in Kim Chang-heup's poems evokes the non-self which merges with the world through the process of self-exploration, expansion, and dissipation all in the pursuit of self-realization. Kim Chang-heup's poems, which incorporate learning and the experience accumulated throughout his life as well as the ideological transformation embrace diverse forms depending on the shifts in perceptions. The present study focuses on the relationship between the self and the object in Kim Chang-heup's poems to examine how the self-image changes when the self blends with the objects. It also analyzes the image of the self to identify the pursued meanings and points captured by the poet's life and literature.