Poetic Wisdom and Imaginal Thinking in T'oegye's

Title

Poetic Wisdom and Imaginal Thinking in T'oegye's

Author

Chao-ying CHEN

Page

111-144

DOI

Abstract

This paper attempts to explore the poetic wisdom and imaginal thinking in T'oegye's "Ten Diagrams of Sage-Learning". For T'oegye, diagrams as formal elements in this Confucian work are not only external forms but convey inner meaning. T'oegye presented these diagrams by pictures and letters. The genre written in "Ten Diagrams" are basically inscription and exhortation. The Chinese sages long ago recognized the necessity of keeping oneself admonished by carving sayings on his carriage and desks. The pithy phrase is required by these genres. T'oegye's literary presentations of "Ten Diagrams" are explored in the paper. Furthermore, this paper tries to elucidate the imaginal thinking exercised in the formation of these ten diagrams. The usage of some particular Chinese calligraphy, the size and shape of some letters and the lines connecting those letters are significantly remarkable. These poetic and imaginal elements are profound and deserve close investigation.

Keyword

Korean Confucianism, T'oegye, Ten Diagrams of Sage-Learning, Confucian Aesthetics

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