이인상(李麟祥)의 <구담소기(龜潭小記)> 연구

Abstract

"A Small Record on Gudam" is Yi In-sang's record on Gudam, a picturesque place in Danyang. Yi sincerely loved Gudam and had dreamed to live a sequestered life in the area from early on. He eventually built a pavilion of his own there, which was named Dabaekun, and wrote the record. He loved Gudam in that he thought the place suited his aesthetic sense of balance and was adequately far from the secular world. Unlike typical nature travelogues, "A Small Record on Gudam" does not have a certain time-frame. This is because, for Yi, Gudam was not a place for just one time excursion but a place to experience repeatedly and continuously with deep affection. To effectively depict each part of the place, he divides this record into paragraphs like many landscape records in the 18th century. Still, he focuses on describing the overall balance and harmony of the place at the same time. In this writing, Yi recalls memories of historical figures and his own friends with regard to Gudam. Moreover, he eagerly looks forward to the future in the place, not only his private life but also his social responsibilities. It is a unique landscape record, because it goes beyond ordinary travelogues and mixes up all these memories and anticipation about Gudam, imbuing the place with special significance and revealing his own affection towards it. It may provide a new perspective to understand the genre of landscape record.