KOREAN LITERATURE

literature

south korea

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1. Korean Literature

2. Hyangga

3. Goryeo

4. Sijo and Gasa

5. Fiction

6. Oral Literature

KOrean Literature

The modern literary movement was launched by Ch’oe Namsŏn and Yi Kwangsu. In 1908 Ch’oe published the poem “Hae egeso pada ege” (“From the Sea to Children”) in Sonyŏn (“Children”), the first literary journal aimed at producing cultural reform. The poem’s inventions include the use of punctuation marks, stanzas of unequal length, and reference to the sea and children, hitherto little mentioned in classical poetry. Afterwards, Modern Korean literature attained its maturity in the 1930s through the efforts of a group of talented writers. They drew freely upon European examples to enrich their art.

Korean literature, the body of works written by Koreans, at first in Classical Chinese, later in various transcription systems using Chinese characters, and finally in Hangul, the national alphabet. Hangul was invented in mid-15th century. The origins of Korean literature can be traced back to an Old Stone Age art form that combined dance, music, and literature. Originating in festival activities, this art form served the political function of unifying society, the religious function of identifying and describing a supernatural power capable of averting calamity on earth, and the economic function of inspiring productive activity, especially that related to agriculture.

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Hyangga

Hyangga was a form poetical 'country song,' distinct from contemporary Chinese songs, which were written in the Silla and Goryeo kingdoms of ancient Korea between the 7th and 10th century CE. The indigenous songs cover such topics as love, loss, and Buddhist devotion. The majority are written in couplets arranged in four-line stanzas with each line having four syllables. The poems were designed to be sung accompanied by music and dancing. Only 25 hyangga survive, but they were once widely written and performed. Hyangga are characterized by a number of formal rules. The poems may consist of four, eight or ten lines. The ten-line poems are the most developed, structured into three sections with four, and two lines respectively.

If you would let me leave The cattle tethered to the brown rock, And feel no shame for me, I would pluck and dedicate the flowers! (Lee, P.H. 71)

'Dedication of the Flower.' (Four-line Hyangga)

If you would let me leave The cattle tethered to the brown rock, And feel no shame for me, I would pluck and dedicate the flowers! (Lee, P.H. 71)

'Dedication of the Flower.' (Four-line Hyangga)

Goryeo

The Goryeo period was marked by a growing use of hanja characters. Only twenty one of these poems have been transmitted. Differently of the hyangga which often had a religious tone these changga anonymous were mostly secular songs expressing the life of ordinary people but their transmission has become complex due to the use by the court with some modifications. They were first transmitted orally and later on written down at the end of the fifteenth century and at the beginning of the sixteenth century.The poetic form of the Goryeo songs is known as byeolgok or changga. The poems were sung to musical accompaniments chiefly by women entertainers, known as kisaeng. The Goryeo songs are characterized by their lack of clear form, and by their increased length. Most are direct in their nature, and cover aspects of common life.

Sijo and gasa

Gasa is a form of verse, although its content can include more than the expression of individual sentiment, such as moral admonitions. Some regard gasa a form of essay. Common themes in gasa were nature, the virtues of gentlemen, or love between man and woman.

Sijo and gasa are closely linked to the development of hangul in the early Joseon period. The word sijo is made of time and harmony. This form of poetry is also called tan-ga 短歌 by opposition to changga since it is short, made only of three lines with a pause in the middle of each line. Sijo (literally current tune) was common in the Joseon period. Many of the sijo reflected Confucian thought; the theme of loyalty is common but many other themes are dealt with: Regrets about aging, sorrow over spurned love or loss of power and honor, reaffirmation of loyalty to a lost cause.

Fiction

Korean fiction can be classified in various ways. First, there is Korean fiction written in Chinese and that written in Korean. Second, there are the short works of one volume, "medium" works of about 10 volumes, and long works of more than 10 volumes. Third, there are works of yangban writers and those of common writers. In respect to the last classification, however, there is also a group of fictional works in which the viewpoints of the yangban and the commoner are combined. The stories are generally didactic, emphasizing correct moral conduct, and almost always have happy endings. The first known classical work of Korean fiction is Geumo Sinhwa (金鰲新話 금오신화 New stories from Mount Geumo) by Kim Si-seup (김시습). It was written in Chinese. From the 17th century onwards, fiction became increasingly popular and more readily available through book rental schemes.

Kim Si-seup

Oral literature

Oral literature includes all texts that were orally transmitted from generation to generation until the invention of Hangul—ballads, legends, mask plays, puppet-show texts, and p’ansori (“story-singing”) texts. In spite of the highly developed literary activity from early in Korean history, song lyrics were not recorded until the invention of Hangul. These orally transmitted texts are categorized as ballads and are classified according to singer (male or female), subject matter (prayer, labour, leisure), and regional singing style (capital area, western, and southern). Legends include all those folk stories handed down orally and not recorded in any of the written records. These legends were long the principal form of literary entertainment enjoyed by the common people. They deal with personified animals, elaborate tricks, the participation of the gods in human affairs, and the origin of the universe.

Korean Folk Tales

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