유치환 시에 나타난 '까마귀'의 상징성

Abstract

This critical essay intends to examine the metaphysical characteristics on Yu, Chi-Hwan’s poems by using the thematic study. I will describe how the poetic subjects of his poems are illustrated depend on using ‘crow’ motif. By clarifying the mode of theme and motif, I will look into the continuity and the variation in his poems. There appear a lot of ‘crow’ motifs in Yu, Chi-Hwan’s poems. The bird images are often observed in his poems like a kite, a sea gull, a crane and so on. This is not incidental phenomenon. Though the symbolic meanings of birds have been changing according to ages or places, in his poems ‘crow’ is the symbol of the middle existence which poetic subjects realize the limit of being. This study tries to examine the poetry, being based on the concept of ‘middle existence’ which contains metaphysical aspects. The ‘crow’ motif as a main topic in this study is the key concept to understand his poetry which were presented in various styles. He concentrated his energies on ‘ontology’ with poetry through all his life. He is hoping for gaining integration between the nothingness and the completeness in literature.