조선 후기 시조의 ‘불안한 사랑’ 모티프와, ‘연애 시대’의 前史

Abstract

We could identify some 60 poems of 'uneasy love' motifs from the 18th through the 19th century sijo poetry in Korea. These poems consisted a new thematic type on the ground of love poetry which grew up as the most popular trend of sijo in the late Chosun period. Uneasy love motifs in this type of sijo were concerned with complications, tension, and anxiety haunting around the initial phase of romantic love. This was a new and interesting feature compared to the traditional themes of love poetry which dealt with the loss or crisis of companionship love. The emergence of these motifs strongly suggests substantial changes in the late Chosun period society, especially in the urbanizing area. Under the cultural bed of these new poems, I think, there was some latent emotional energy toward the 'romantic love age' in 1920's. It is all right to say that the idea of 'free love between man and woman' was stirred and accelerated by the western influence from the early 20th century. However, we should not overlook it's latent energy which had been growing before under the suppression of social norms and marriage system of Chosun period. Thus we may conclude that sijo poems of uneasy love motifs were glimpses of desire generated from this increasing pressure against the Confucian culture which was on the way of breaking down.