강원 춘천의 풍경을 기억하다

Abstract

Th is study is to understand the image and meaning of Chuncheon formed by Chuncheon’s landscape poetry. Target areas include Mountain Bong-ui, Mountain Cheongpyeong, and Soyang river. Writers include Ja-hyeon Lee, Yeo Gwak, Yeo Choi, Heum Choi and Suk Oh in the Joseon Dynasty, etc. While their works showed diff erences, it was possible to extract implications that penetrated through them. Mountain Bong-ui represents a reign of peace and gloriousness. In Heum Shin’s works, Mountain Bong-ui was recognized as a sage realm although the cares of nostalgia were also depicted. A similar depiction is found in an anonymous ancient poem. Th ese two poets wished to become a sage in recognition of Mountain Bong-ui as a sage realm isolated from the world, but the image of sages was a straggler or hermit failing to adapt to the world. Mountain Cheongpyeong symbolizes a clean and peaceful status. This mountain was highlighted for its historic value by Ja-hyeon Lee in the Goyreo Dynasty. While staying here, Jahyeon Lee intended to meet Yeo Gwak, his old companion. In poems that they shared, Yeo Gwak expressed his feelings of gladness to see an old friend again and the impression on a life diff erent from his own while Ja-hyeon Lee expressed his gratitude towards the visiting friend and the value of diff erent lives. In the two works, Mountain Cheongpyeong was a space that Ja-hyeon Lee wanted to hide from the world and also a place that Yeo Gwak missed and could not reach. Fundamentally, however, this place was recognized as a space of escape, separation, and rejection to living together in harmony. Mountain Soyang was one representative river of Chuncheon about which many literary men wrote their works. One example is Yeo Choi’s poems. Th e artist passed by and recorded his impression while working as an inspector. His poems represented the elevated excitement about the present landscape as well as the sorrow in the contrast between the present and the past and the confl ict between the past free status and the present offi cial status that are overcome with the landscape. Th e poet felt troubled with the life as a public offi cial but reaffi rm his commitment to the public service in recognition of Soyang River as a sage realm and a shelter of deviation. Poems of Suk Oh in the Joseon Dynasty as well praise Soyang River, viewing it as a sage realm and wishing to become a virtuous person. As such, Soyang river and Chuncheon were perceived by strangers as a place isolated from real politics and the world and a place where they wish to fi nd rest. Above-stated poets viewed Chuncheon as an unworldly sage realm that is like a healing place, refuge, and shelter, and they wished to become a sage themselves. However, Chuncheon could not be defi ned as a sage realm since it was a place of politics. It was a place where both the ruler and the ruled wished a reign of peace. To them, the landscape over Chuncheon was part of their life and an expansion of their daily routine. Nonetheless, politic mainstreams in the middle ages imagined Chuncheon as a world of seclusion and unworldliness even though they were strangers to it. Th e current image of Chuncheon as well is an extension of such imagination, and thus setting matters straight should begin with correcting the memories.