“Mogdong-ga (Pastoral Song)”, a literary work of Gasa literature, was written by Yim Yu-hoo (1601~1673) in the time of Hyojong, King of Yi Dynasty. He passed Sama and Saengjin (sorts of higher civil service examination) in the 2nd year of Injo and...
“Mogdong-ga (Pastoral Song)”, a literary work of Gasa literature, was written by Yim Yu-hoo (1601~1673) in the time of Hyojong, King of Yi Dynasty. He passed Sama and Saengjin (sorts of higher civil service examination) in the 2nd year of Injo and entered into the government service in the fourth year of the same king. He studied with two teachers in his early years, and finally became a student of literature under Soam Yim Sukyoung. The literary works he left behind are two collections of essays, “Hyuwajib” and “Hyuwajabchan” (a sort of autobiographic essays), and two verse, “Mogdongka” in Gasa form and a Shijo (which he wrote at the age of 59 when he was serving as magistrate of Kyungsung in Hamgyeong-do).
And, Hong Manjong, a literary men in the time of Sugjong, says in his critique “Soono-ji” that Mogdong-ga was written by Yim Yu Hoo in the time of Gwanghaegun and that it manifested he had no desire for power and fame.
Since then it has been widely known because of the critique that Yim Yu-Hoo wrote Mogdong-ga at the age of about 20. According to the new materials the writer has newly found, however, it was revealed that he dictated the song to his granddaughter, seeing a shepered-boy pass by with a cattle, while washing himself in the morning when he was staying in Uljin. Besides, in view of the work, it may safely be assumed that he wrote it at the age of about sixty one when he was old enough to have varied wordly experiences.
In this thesis, the writer examined into the personal history of Yim Yu-Hoo and his achievements with all the newly found materials presented in it, and at the same time comments were made on his influence upon the Korean literature on the basis of study in the contents of his work.