두 개의 모닥불 - 백석 시 모닥불 에 대한 새로운 해석의 가능성 -

Abstract

Baek-suk’s poem “Bonfire” is commonly read as an expression of the poet’s aspiration for a harmonious community. However, I would argue that this interpretation is derived from a superficial reading of the poem. In this article I suggest an alternative reading of the poem, with a particular focus on comparing and contrasting the meaning of a bonfire as presented in the first and third stanzas. I will also focus on how the figure of the grandfather bridges these two stanzas. The bonfire described in the first and the second stanza is an extension of the bonfire image in the third stanza, and these two images of a bonfire represent the two polarities in the grandfather’s life. The bonfire in the third stanza is closely related to historical events (i.e., the First Sino - Japanese War, the Battle of Pyongyang that concluded the war, and both the Chinese and Japanese military activities) and the grandfather’s childhood that was indelibly marked by this historical chaos. Conversely, the bonfire in the first two stanzas of the poem relates to the latter years of the grandfather’s life - the war - torn years when he persevered and built a family of his own - and culminates with the celebration of his granddaughter’s marriage. Therefore, the litter of objects identified in the first stanza attains a metaphorical layer of meaning - they embody the grandfather’s painful memories and experiences. In this sense, the act of sweeping these into the fire is not only a practical act of cleaning the yard for the upcoming marriage but experiences. In addition, the second stanza illustrates the narrator’s (the grandson’s) wish for the family to flourish in a way that a bonfire would evenly distribute warmth for everyone around it. In sum, the poem builds toward a feeling of awe with respect to the grandfather’s achievements as a survivor of history and expresses the grandson’s wish for the product of his grandfather’s life - the extended family - to thrive and prosper through the images of a bonfire and people warming themselves around it.