1930년대 ‘전통’ 인식과 시조담론

Abstract

Sijo (時調, Korean short lyric songs) amid discourse on modern literature had been rediscovered as ‘Traditional People’s Literature’ which was composed in ‘Korean Writing.’ ‘Tradition’ was created since modern era, and, at the same time, this is a concept that has been transformed keeping pace with the changes in society. After 1930s, those altered meanings have been added upon Sijo to make it exist continuously as a symbol of such ‘Tradition.’ Along this line, in this paper, the researcher has investigated the relations between ‘Tradition’ and Sijo, and meaning thereof on various viewpoints of the society in 1930s including modernism, the changes in the Eastern and Western perception, imperialistic fascism, and colonial society, etc. Since the middle of 1920s when the theory of Sijo revival was advocated, Sijo has brought about the theory of Sijo in modern literature genres, and, at the same time, it has acquired the significance as the representation of ‘Joseon Spirit.’ Subsequently, Sijo was able to be recognized across the literary world as the traditional form of poetry being geared with the plans in relation to ‘Tradition’ in 1930s. In those days, Japanese colonial government had dissolved Joseon and its traditions, and simultaneously reorganized the nation through strict thought control and cooptation. Meanwhile, however, Sijo was started being considered ‘Tradition’ beyond such control, or by responding thereto. In the latter part of 1930s, Lee Byeong-gi, the Sijo poet, who was the pivotal figure in the literary magazine 『Munjang, the Literature』 that aimed for tradition, thought that Sijo could be transmitted as by ‘Tradition’ which had acquired modern consciousness through the expressions of actual feeling and state. The expression in terms of actual feeling and state by Lee Byeong-gi was a measure to create ‘Tradition’ of Joseon by laying newness over classical form of poetry, so called Sijo. Also, it was his method in order to pull out the power of resistance amid imitation, although this was touched off from the imitation. On the other hand, ‘Tradition’ of Sijo had carried a contradiction which could establish whole and perfect image of normative ‘Tradition’ by concealing the abstractness of Joseon Spirit and influence of Japanese colonial period. Although the meaning of ‘Tradition’ bestowed upon Sijo was changing little by little amid rapidly changing situation, Sijo and ‘Tradition’ itself were able to be recognized as the power of continuation by being naturalized as it is the meaning originally inherent in it. In this study, the researcher examined contemporary Sijo which had been selected and confirmed together with ‘Tradition’ in 1930s. In doing so, the researcher explored an aspect of signifying process of such modern Sijo.