육사의 「절정」- ‘강철로 된 무지개’와 ‘Terrible Beauty’

Abstract

The core verse from the poem by Yi Yuksa, “Joel-jeong(climax)” is the last verse, ‘winter might be the steel rainbow.’ This study examines various views on the ‘steel rainbow’ to indicate invalid views based on following arguments : ① The ‘steel rainbow’ is not a typical multi-colored rainbow readers perceive. The phrase is derived from ‘white rainbow’ of the ‘Baekhong Gwanil(白虹貫日)’ of which appeared when Jingke(荊軻) made an attempt to assassinate the First Qin Emperor(秦始皇). ② Even though this ‘white rainbow’ was seen as a premonition of treason in the traditional society, the phrase became a symbol of patriotic struggle under the Japanese colonial independence movement as one can see with the case of Yun Bong-gil(윤봉길). ③ Since Yi Yuk-sa could not directly use the expression ‘white rainbow’ due to the well-known ‘Baekhong Incident(日虹事件) of 1918’ in Japan, Yi Yuk-sa expressed the ‘white rainbow’ metaphorically as the ‘steel rainbow.’ The predominant view of the academia interprets the ‘steel rainbow’ as the ‘tragic ecstasy’ derived from the ‘tragic joy’ which was defined by W. B. Yeats. However, this interpretation of remotely accepting death and suffering is invalid considering the poetic world of Yuk-sa and “Jeol-jeong” strongly endorsing the patriotic struggle against the Japanese imperialism. Rather, the ‘steel rainbow’ can be comparable to the phrase ‘terrible beauty’ from Yates’ “Easter 1916.” The ‘terribly beauty’ portrays the terrible oppression of the British Empire rather strengthened the passion of the Irish independence.