병자호란의 기억, 그 시적 형상화

The poetic figuration of Memories on Manchu War of 1636(丙子胡亂)

This study set out to examine the patterns of embodying the memories of Manchu War of 1636 into poems among the literary figures of Joseon and discuss their meanings. Since the memories of the War could differ according to whether one has an experience with the War or not, the study categorized the patterns for examination purposes. In middle Joseon, the literary figures that had an experience with the War passionately expressed their devastation and made a reflective and critical investigation into the causes and accountability of the War, developing a tendency of ruminating over the present by associating it with the historical facts. Their poems showed a lyrical tendency, being intense and emotion-oriented. Witnessing the desperately dangerous moment when the fate of nation would be decided and the humiliation of the king, the literary figures focused their viewpoints on the inside of themselves that had been hurt as well as the king, royal court, and ministers and had negative memories such as anxiety, defeat, humiliation, and loss. The poetic tendency of literary figures than experienced Manchu War of 1636 was found similarly in the works of literary men in the second half of Joseon that had no such experiences. The latter reorganized the episodes of certain figures or events that had been orally transmitted with regard to the War into long epics. They expanded their interest and viewpoints regarding the War from the center including the king and royal court to the performance and suffering of common people and created poems with new facts that had not been known, thus adding new memories of the War. Some of them depicted the horrors of the War, and others told a positive and moving story involving victory in battles and righteous brothers. They showed there were hopes and successes in the War as well as humiliation, grief, and failure. Those changes to their creation patterns indicate that the patterns of reflecting the reality became increasingly broader and more specific in the Chinese poems about the War toward the second half of Joseon. They also show that the painful memories of the War were overcome in certain parts through the Chinese poems.