韓國文學의 特質에 대한 巨視的 考察 = A Macroscopic Observation of Korean Literature

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

This paper intends to look at Korean literature comprehensively and abstract its identifying features. The attempt is necessary for the student who wants to understand the characteristics. The attempt is necessary for the student who wants to understand the characteristics of Korea literature, and hence who wants to reorient his scholarship of a broader perspective.
The research is based on the premise that a literary work could be analyzed into four planes: expression and content, and substance and form.
Let us start from the expression. On the plane of substance it is a medium which literary work employ that matters. Korean literature had always two ways of expression consequently two kinds of literature: the literature of Idu(吏讀) and Chinese character before the invention of Hunminjong 'um(訓民正音) and after it of Chinese character and Han-gul(한글). The literature of Idu and Han- gul follows the phonetic system of Korean language, whereas the literature of Chinese character the system of Chinese. However, the latter was praised more highly than the former. Most elite writers were not interested in practicing in Korean, though they could have better describe by Han-gul people 's life and thoughts more realistically and persuasively. Even those who engaged in writing of Korean felt not so much proud as in Chinese. Poets wrote poems only for singing while story tellers remained mostly anonymous. For this reason, expressive devices and forms were not fully developed. The Korean poems generally lacking in the metric system is one of those examples.
Kasa(歌詞) and p 'ansori(판소리) reflect the case. Kasa is similar to a poem whereas p 'ansori to a novel. Judging from the point of Western literature, however, their forms and devices are too monotonous and simple. Hence it may be unable of modern man to arrest attention. Kasa and p 'ansori will be fully appreciated only in the concert with other arts, especially with music.
In the content plane, pathos(恨) would be pointed out as a distinctive feature generally permeating in the old songs. Pathos might be an universal appeals to Koreans. Secondly, the subject of parting for a love song were frequently taken. Songs were usually offered to a lover in absence or in separation rather than in presence. Thirdly, the attitudes of poets towards nature were always friendly seeking shelter in it. Fourthly, there were almost no tragic ending in the old stories. Authors usually describe heroes or heroines going into the realm of eternity, not to death in the end.
Korean literature was exposed to various religions and thoughts including Shamanism, Confucianism, Neo-Confucianism, Taoism, Buddhism and Christianity. They all bolstered literary thoughts. Each piece of work without severe conflict reflected above-mentioned religious thoughts and WELTANSCHAUNGEN which play their role in concert each other in forming Korean literature.

목차 (Table of Contents)

• Ⅰ. 緖論
• Ⅱ. 표현에 있어서의 특질
• Ⅲ. 내용에 있어서의 특질
• 1) 恨
• 2) 離別의 情懷
• 3) 자연 속의 안식처
• 4) 영원에의 길
• 5) 사상
• Ⅳ. 結論
• Abstract