The transition to romantic free verse in modern poetical circles of Korea and Japan was in line with the trend of the time as it matured together. The modern spirit of the age and cultural forms brought about not only the emphasis on personal freedom ...
The transition to romantic free verse in modern poetical circles of Korea and Japan was in line with the trend of the time as it matured together. The modern spirit of the age and cultural forms brought about not only the emphasis on personal freedom and dignity, but also the manifestation of independent personality and ego. In addition, as a modern man living in the modern times amongst the ever-complicating reality, the unconscious desire to freely express one’s own senses, emotions, and desires combined with the trend of the times. What was believed to have the potential to respond to this was the free verse. Therefore, the modern poets of Korea and Japan accepted the Western free verse theory to establish modern poetry. In forming free verse, however, there were differences in ideas.
Japan intended to occupy an equal literary position as the West. With the Western poetry as the model, they were busy comparing their own poetry with them and trying to catch up. Japanese poetic circles believed that learning and executing the flamboyant Western literary trend, modern esthetics, and poetic techniques were the right path for the development of their own poetry. On the other hand, the attitude torn between blind hankering for Western poetry and overcoming such was questioned.
On the other hand, Korean modem poetic circles admitted to the fact that accepting Western and Japanese poetry was the necessary and sufficient condition, but did not present assimilation as the slogan. They believed that finding the authenticity and uniqueness of Korean poetry and considering how to sublimate it artistically were urgent. When there are independent personality and artistic spirit established for Korean poetry on its own, finally its value may be acknowledge internationally, and such was believed to be the path to the global literature.