This study aims to research on the tragedy of Korean modern poetry as conduits of the colonial reality. In this Study, I focused on the poetry in the later of 1930's~1940's. In brief, the tragedy of Korean modern poetry is deeply associated with Japan...
This study aims to research on the tragedy of Korean modern poetry as conduits of the colonial reality. In this Study, I focused on the poetry in the later of 1930's~1940's. In brief, the tragedy of Korean modern poetry is deeply associated with Japanese colonialism.
The annexation of Korea by Japanese imperialism was executed with unprecendented ruthlessness and cruelty. The military violence was mobilized to restructure Korea into source of supply for Japanese imperialism and to suppress Korean who resist the oppression. At the same time various measures was taken to incorporate Korean economy into that of Japan. So they had brought unbearable hardness and poverty to Korean people. Korean poets also felt such pain and made works from such tragic situation and self-consciousness.
Although the concept of tragedy was derived from a drama, generally we use it to imply not just suffering of violence, catastrophe, bereavement but also dignity and fortitude against them. It is a bit difficult to discern the word ‘tragic’ and ‘tragedy’. But we might fully appreciate the complex and various characteristics of great tragedies.
This study intends to find the apt example of tragedy of Korean modern poetry in the aspects of the tragic situation, tragic consciousness, and the motif of scapegoat.
At the first, the tragic situation means the colonial reality with barbarous imperial power and economic poverty. Park Se-young who was a member of KAPF and opposed to the disbandment of KAPF, showed the passion and ambition for the revolution with tragic heroism. And Lee Yong-ak described the miserable condition of drifting people and the migrants of the Northern region.
At the second, the tragic consciousness means the consciousness of poetic subject who feel the disharmony between the idealism and the reality. Oh Jang-hwn negatively exposed the decline of history by contrasting with Bak Suk who positively looking for the transcendence in the world of hidden God.
At the last Yon Dong-ju was interpreted as the scapegoat for the history and the Korean modern poetry. He revealed the will of sacrifice which resembles that of Christ in his poems.