시인들의 ‘자기시론’에 나타난 특성과 그 의미 - 2000년대 이후의 3가지 기획특집을 중심으로 -

Abstract

Our poetry circles have changed ever since the 1990s and particularly in the 2000s as new poetic trends and discussions on familiar phenomena have emerged as serious issues. Against this backdrop, poets face the basic and fundamental question: 'What is poetry?' Thus, this analyzes three special editions that collect 'personal poetics’ which are the very voice of many poets about their poems. The three special editions are: 2008 Fall issue of the quarterly poetry magazine The Poet’s World, 2013 January issue of the monthly poetry magazine - Contemporary Poetry, and 200th special commemorative teaser edition of MUNHAKDONGNE Publishing Corp. Endless Horizons (2023). These special editions are significant approximately 300 poets contributed to these collections of 'personal poetics' among poetry circles and in the general poetry history. Additionally, during the study period, which examined changes in poetry circles and literary history through representative poetry works, presenting the poetic discourses and perspectives of ‘personal poetics’ became an important turning point for exploring such changes in_depth The following conclusions were derived from the analysis of the aforementioned special editions: First, since the beginning of modern times both poetry and the roles and identity of poets have changed significantly. Poems and poets have witnessed a decline in the public senses of duty and idealistic characters resulting from a rise in humanism, particularly among the new generation of poets. Second, perceptions of poetic instruments such as language and poetic diction have evolved. Language, considered the peak of human inventions, and poetic diction, which expressed truth, goodness, and beauty in the modern tongue and artistic forms, have gradually lost their aura. This decline is particularly evident among the new generation of poets. Third, the ultimate purpose of poetry was once to explore universal truth worthy of a lifetime’s dedication. However, they have faced the gradual transition into a non-universal and deconstructive perspective that embraces reality, inconsistency, and division. Our poetry circles and poetry history are now on the verge of another significant change owing to the emergence of AI. In the history of modern poetry and theories, the focus was on establishing an entity similar to a single government. However, such changes led to an emphasis on developing and exploring new concepts of artistic creation and poetic subjects, alongside the three aspects aforementioned. Modern poetry theories as well as modern poems maximize the entropy to the fullest, requesting new ones. As both poems and poetry theories are shaped by the context of their times and history, the poems and theories that will emerge in the future are expected to usher in a new era.