백석 시의 생태학적 의인화와 인간애

Abstract

This paper examines the aspects and meanings of ecological personifications and love for human in Baek Seok’s poetry. Baek Seok’s poetry does not demonstrate human-centered and romantic personifications but ecological ones directed toward restoring human-nature relations. His personifications reveal his perception of nature as being equal to humans, while his poetic subjects sharply grasp the differences of the two hidden behind the equality. Animals deserve respect in that they have equal lives as humans, but in terms of differences, humans may inevitably take advantage of animals. This idea of nature-human equality with the assumptions of differences reminds us of mythological and ecological ethics. Baek’s delicate observations of creatures indicate that his ecological perceptions are rooted deep down in the biophilia, love for all life. Ecologism without regard to human dignity has a risk of running toward anti-humanism. Even though humans are merely one of the members in the ecosystem, their unique existence as perceivers and ethical agents cannot be denied. The ecological idea of humans as part of nature entails the following: if humans are equal to nature, then all humans are equal, and respect for nature dictates respect for humans as well. Therefore, ecologism without love for human has an intrinsic paradox. In this regard, Baek’s poetry successfully avoids such a paradox and displays ecological imagination with love for humans. His poetic subjects show love and respect for both nature and humans and pursue an ecological community where all beings co-exist in harmony and equality. Meanwhile, the poetic subjects notice the differences and pain in individual entities, escaping from ecofascism.