다산 정약용의 竹欄詩社 결성과 활동양상 ― 새로 찾은 竹欄詩社帖을 중심으로

Abstract

The Bamboo and Orchid Poetry Society (竹欄詩社), the key member of which was Dasan Jeong Yak-yong, has long been widely recognized as one of the leading societies of its kind from the 18th century Korea. However, exact details on the formation and other aspects of this historical poetry society have also long eluded a definitive interpretation. Scholarly expositions on the subject have so far cited the “Preface to the Handbook of the Bamboo and Orchid Poetry Society (竹欄詩社帖序, hereinafter “the Preface”) and approximately ten of Dasan’s poems as the basis of their research conclusions. In the meantime, I have discovered Ikchangong seochi gyecheop (翊贊公序齒稧帖), or Sir Ikchan’s society handbook with the members listed in the order of age (hereinafter “Ikchangong Handbook”). As the result of having since verified that this handbook is the true copy of the handbook mentioned by Dasan in the Preface, I have shed new light on the true nature of the Society and its activities. The Ikchangong Handbook dates from the time when the Society was founded, and it belonged to Han Baek-won (韓百源), one of the original Society members. Two sections, seochi and sayak, or ‘list of members’ and ‘rules,’ respectively, comprise the handbook. The contents match exactly with the details enumerated by Dasan in the Preface. With the discovery of this material, details of the formation and membership of the Society, and the real nature of its activities, have become clear. I present research conclusions on the subject that differ from what have been suggested so far; I do this by presenting and analyzing a variety of materials. In my estimation, the Society was formally formed after July 1794, and it severed its members several functions. It was a salon for social gathering, a literary circle for creating poetry, and a political association for the members, who were all junior government officials at the time who belonged to the Namin faction. Using newly discovered historical materials and poems, this paper examines the Society’s activities in detail and the distinctive characteristics of the members’ creative impulses.