水村 吳始壽의 유배시 연구*

Abstract

This paper examines the exiled poetry of Oh Si-su, a literary figure from the Nam-in faction who was active in the 17th century. Oh Si-su served as the Vice prime minister of the Interior during the early reign of King Sukjong, but was exiled to the southern provinces during the Gyeongshinhwanguk. However, after being appointed as a regional governor in 1675, his statement on "the power of ministers being too strong" became a point of contention, leading to his return to Seoul, where he faced imprisonment and eventually was executed. Oh Si-su's exile poetry includes not only the poems he composed during his exile but also those written over the course of approximately one year, from his exile to his execution, comprising 87 pieces and 199 verses. His exile poetry can be divided into three categories based on location: poems written on the way to his place of exile, those written at the place of exile, and those composed in prison. The characteristics of Oh Si-su's exile poetry, which appear according to space, can be broadly categorized into four points. First, Oh Si-su expresses various reflections and emotions he experienced in each region during his journey to exile. He left behind poems at each post station from Seoul to Samsu, capturing his observations and feelings within the short form of seven-character quatrain during his brief stays at these stations. In this poem, the emotions that Oh Si-su experiences are expressed in various forms, such as longing for the king, feelings of being a guest, and recollections of the past. The characteristics of the poems Oh Si-su wrote while in exile can be divided into two main aspects: his affection for his family, which he expresses in a foreign land, and the loneliness he reveals through impromptu compositions. While in exile, Oh Si-su frequently expressed his affection for his family, including poems that express his longing for his four-year-old grandchild and his uncles, who were also his companions, as well as poems mourning the death of his wife. Many of Oh Si-su's exile poems were impromptu, meaning that they were composed spontaneously, capturing the emotions he felt at the moment of inspiration. Therefore, the most prominent emotion in the impromptu poems written in exile is loneliness. Lastly, when Oh Si-su was brought back to Seoul and imprisoned, he compiled his poems into a work called 「Okjungrok」. During his imprisonment, Oh Si-su felt that he was nearing death, and this sense of extreme despair is strongly reflected in the poems he wrote during this time.