최치원의 삶과 시적 대응

Abstract

Choi Chi-won’s footprints are quite remarkable in the History of Korean Literature. However, previous studies treated his masterpieces fragmentarily or exaggerated some of the characteristics observed in his poetry, failing to grasp the reality of Choi Chi-won’s poetic world. This study was started from the fact that Choi Chi-won exhibited his poetic responses at the points of time when he experienced characteristic changes in his life. By analyzing how his poetry interacted with his life, this study explored the attitudes and changes of his life along with the development of his poetic world. Choi Chi-won’s life was very active from the beginning. He believed that he could overcome his life problems through efforts. He attempted to overcome the restriction in his social status under the rank system of Shilla through studying in China, the Tang Dynasty, and succeeded in the civil service examination through the efforts of Inbaekgicheon (人百己千 - ‘I do 1000 times when others do 100 times’). His position as a foreigner, however, was quite unstable in China. He had to wait long until being appointed as an official only to get an obscure position. In order to escape from such a situation, he prepared Boxuehongcike (博學宏辭科 - Erudition and Literacy Examination), but because of adverse situations he joined the camp of Gao Bing (高棅). It was to open up his future through his own efforts. Pleading poems (陳情詩) he wrote in those days show Choi Chi-won’s struggle to rise using his literary talents. Such an active response is also confirmed in the purpose of compiling Gyewonpilgyeongjip dedicated to King Heongang after returning to Shilla. While staying in China, on the other hand, Choi Chi-won felt keenly the situation of Sojieum (少知音 - having no friend upstanding my heart). His awareness of Sojieum grew deeper while he was living as a stranger in the foreign country, and the gap that he felt between ideals and realities also grew wider. This situation continued after he returned to Shilla, and such conflicts between ideals and realities were configured several times in his poems. Not long after returning to Shilla, he moved from and to provincial posts and it seems that he shaped up his idea to live in retirement during that time. He came to admit that there were real problems insurmountable through his efforts alone. Then, natural space, which had been an object of yearning, was seen as a place to which he could rely on. His attitude oriented to being unworldly and living in retirement was deepened through several turnovers and was finally concluded in the form of disappearance. This study examined Choi Chi-won’s different attitudes toward life and how such attitudes were configured in his poetic world. This work is expected to make some contribution to reconstructing his literary life and understanding the realities of Choi Chi-won’s poetic world.