숭고와 계몽의 역설 - 한용운 시의 현재성

Abstract

This paper is to study the relationship between the sublime and enlightenment through the characteristics of the sublime in Nim’s Silence, Han Yong-Woon's poetry. In Nim’s Silence, the sublime is mainly shown in two aspects. First, 'Nim', which is the core of Han Yong-Woon's poetry, is pictured as a sublime object that is both endless and formless. Poetic speaker’s love toward ‘Nim’ is also pictured as a sublime object. This love is holy and exalted unlike the love of the mundane world. Secondly, the sublime object in Han Yong-woon's poetry is all expressed through negative representations. And yet the fact that the 'Nim' and 'love' in Han Yong-Woon's poetry are pictured as sublime object signifies that it is impossible to explain them. This is because the sublime, by its original nature, is unexplainable. Thus, the many interpretations of 'Nim' so far call for a new ontological understanding. In history, the argument on the sublime has always been recalled as a modern plan of enlightenment to enhance the human ability to resist the nature's powers. However the sublime conversely violates its original intention by changing the passion of enlightenment to a subject that is both impossible to recognize and comprehend. This is also the case of Han Yong-Woon's poetry. The sublime object may be the result of the enlightenment will to guide the mankind by imaginary returning 'Nim' at a time when he was gone. But the emphasis on the sublime and enlightenment on the contrary includes the passion of enlightenment in the noble subject and therefore overdoes the original intention. This is possible through a unique way of love. In Han Yong-Woon's poetry, the sublime love does not take its lover(Nim). Rather, it takes the absence of lover, in a paradoxical way of keeping the Nim’s silence with a love song. This way of love acknowledges and accepts the lover's flaws, deficiencies, follies and faults instead of enlightening the other and possessing him/her exclusively. This is the way to free the subject from Nim’s absence. The subject in possession of a sublime object can never be completely enlightened. This is because the nature is within us and it is the territory of non-literary hidden in this world.