정지용의 「향수(鄕愁)」 다시 읽기- 전고(典故)와 문화적 맥락을 중심으로

Abstract

In order to interpret Jeong Ji-yong's “Homesickness(鄕愁)”, it is necessary to understand the authentic precedents(典故) and cultural contexts of East and West intertwined with the poetic language. In this paper, the backgrounds of poetic words such as “carelessly fired arrows,” “legendary sea,” “seokgeun star(석근 별),” “unknowable sand castle,” and “moving its feet,” were explored to determine their meanings and contexts, and based on the foregoing, an attempt was made to interpret the work. Unlike the existing view that "Homesickness" idealized pre-modern farming areas, it was a work that critically embodied the negative reality of the colony. The streamlet in "Homesickness" symbolizes a period of suffering in history, and the dapple bull symbolizes the alienated colonists. His father, who is from the older generation, is shocked by the colonial reality and wakes up from a deep sleep, but is in a state of trance without being able to awaken. He, a young intellectual, realizes the gap between reality and ideals and pursues ideals, but fails and are frustrated. His sister and wife, who are the social weak, work hard, but they can only participate in gleaning rather than normal production activities. In this hopeless reality, the only hope is the harmony and feeling of solidarity of the family. The work ends with the suggestion that this power will flow into the streamlet, that is, history. The fact that "Homesickness" was created before the poet left to study abroad. Through this work, the poet determined a consistent perspective on his hometown and redefined his relationship with his hometown. Whereas the text of "Homesickness", which describes the suffering of colonial Joseon, is the poet’s perspective on his hometown, the repeated phrase “That place will never be forgotten even in my dreams” corresponds to the new relationship between the poet and his hometown, and the moral obligation the poet accepted on leaving Joseon.