현대시와 이미지― 감각, 비유, 사건으로서의 이미지

Abstract

The poetic image, as opposed to the literal proposition, can sometimes be regarded as a second-order product of consciousness. However, this paper attests to the power of poetic images and aims to determine their significance. The image is not only a representation, but also a sensory product. Sensuousness is one of the mechanisms underlying meaning, and helps cause the transformation of a poetic subject. The study of poetic imagery is ① an inquiry into the profound meaning of poems, which is generated through their sensuous effects, and ② an examination of the process of transformation of the poetic “I” in terms of their movement, body, emotions, and reasoning. The image is also the basic unit of figurative communication. Metaphor, synecdoche, metonymy, symbolism, and allegory are all based on the unit of meaning constituted by the image. Through metaphor, for example, the two objects being compared represent two different worlds. When an image is comprised of a metaphor, it reflects the true character of the world as perceived by the subject. Finally, the image is a condensation of time. It is not representative of a single moment or a snapshot of time, and includes motion and transience. As such, it represents an event or circumstance in a manner that is unlike other forms of communication. An event in poetry is an “image-event” in the sense that it is archetypal, symbolic, repetitive, and latent. The author hopes to spur the re-discovery of the potential of the image and thereby to stimulate related research and the emergence of new perspectives in the field.