许筠《题王司寇剑侠传后》考论

Abstract

During the mid-Joseon Dynasty, the literati Heo Gyun, serving as the Deputy Envoy Chen Zou, made his final visit to the Ming(明) Dynasty. It was on this occasion that he perused Wang Shizhen(王士祯)'s "Swordsman《剑侠传》" at the Yuhé Guan(玉河馆; Southern Huitong Pavilion) in Beijing(北京). After reading it, Heo Gyun incorporated his reflections into a poem titled "Inscription on Wang Sikou's Swordsman Sequel.(《读王司寇剑侠传后》)" This post-reading poem holds significant value for studying the versions and dissemination of "Swordsman" and provides a rare glimpse into how Korean literati transformed their knowledge of books into Han poetry. However, in his eagerness to showcase the rich thematic elements of "Swordsman," the poet Heo Gyun employed overly concise storytelling, which posed challenges for subsequent readers in understanding the poem. Therefore, the primary objective of this article is to elucidate the structure of the poetic text while considering the examination of the versions and dissemination of "Swordsman," Heo Gyun's understanding of the novel, and his creative techniques employed in composing the post-reading poem.