자유시 ―찰스 번스틴의 경우

Abstract

The aim of this paper is to understand American language poet, Charles Bernstein’s ‘language poetics’ through Walter Benjamin’s ‘pure language’ and Giorgio Agamben’s ‘inoperativity.’ According to Benjamin, language for communication and information through ‘expression’ and ‘meaning’ of subject’s intention is language constructed by bourgeois concept of language. Benjamin’s ‘pure language’ means communicability freed from ‘intention’ and ‘meaning’ of bourgeois language and ‘expressionless’ language indifferent to expression. Agamben’s ‘pure’ can be attached to what practices ‘inoperativity.’ Agamben’s ‘pure capability’ is capability of incapability which can render its own capability inoperative. Agamben names this capability of its own incapability as ‘sui generis praxis.’ Human subjectivity is the place where this ‘sui generis praxis’ happens. Agamben’s ‘inoperativity’ ‘suspends’ specific and concrete operations and ‘exposes’ possibilities of ‘different’ operations at the same time. Benjamin’s ‘pure language’ is communicability as communication of communication exposed through suspension of specific and concrete communication based on expression and meaning of bourgeois language. Language in Bernstein’s ‘language poetics’ is language freed from bourgeois language and ‘expressionless’ language indifferent to expression and language operated by Agamben’s ‘inoperativity.’ Bernstein’s ‘language poetics’ ‘suspends’ ‘Official Verse Culture’ based on bourgeois language and ‘exposes’ possibilities for ‘different’ ‘foreign’ languages. Bernstein’s ‘language poetics’ halts ‘free verse’ by poet subjects presupposed by ‘Official Verse Culture’ and ‘lyric’ of ‘expression of universal human feeling’ by ‘Official Verse Culture.’ ‘Free verse’ by ‘language poetics’ is ‘free verse’ freed from ‘free verse’ and ‘lyric’ by poetics of ‘Official Verse Culture.’ ‘Free verse’ of ‘language poetics’ where ‘sui generis of language’ happens can be said to be the place where ‘sui generis praxis’ of free verse happen.