西浦 金萬重의 辭이론과 文彩이론의 비교 연구

A Parallel Study on Seopo 西浦's Theory of Sa 辭 and Figure

Kim, Man Jung(1637～1692) was a famous literary man in Joseon Dynasty, who wrote several novel by Korean letters and left a collection of own works named Seopo-jip 西浦集. He was also a distinguished literary critic, whose theory of protecting unique Korean literature has been largely supported by so many scholars of today. In this study, I notice his particular literary dichotomy which divided aspects of literature into Sa 辭 and Eui 意, as it were expression and meaning. This dichotomy is similar to the internal and external elements of literature argued by modern New Critics. Although his contemporary Confucian scholars made light the aspects of expression, he emphasized the importance of Sa. He contended that Sa was a substantial element of literature, and that it's true taste could not be obtained by translation. He thought the common people's labor songs was more genuine than the nobility's pedantic Chinese poetry, and linked with ridicule the latter to a speech of a parrot. I think that these views of literature correctly correspond the theory of figure. According to the theory of figure, it is a important equipment which set literature independent from subordinated position to philosophy or religion. And figure is a visual radiance which could not be gained by a free translation of meaning. It is a flesh of fruit, sweet flavor of art, not a chat of a parrot but a genuine human language. Even though both time and space are so different, Korean medieval literary man Kim, Man Jung and today Western theorist of literary figure have something in common. Both of them recognize the consequence of literary expressions, furthermore argue that only harmonious combination between meaning and expression can guarantee eternity of literature.