<제주도(濟州道) 기행(紀行)>과 <제주여행가>의 작품 실상과 현대적 의미

Abstract

In terms of their organization, Jejudo Travel and Jeju Travel Song are two different major works that represent the entire collection of gyubanggasa (‘lyrics from women’s quarters’) written on Jejudo. Jejudo Travel is a lyrical travel poem composed of 240 phrases and 120 lines, written on Aug. 30, 1978 by Koh Dan (1922-2009) based on her 3-day travel on the island. Jejudo Travel shows the typical composition of a lyrical travel poem. As the journey proceeds, there is a speedy change of scenes, in which the poet depicts the scenic sites that she toured and unbosoms her reflections on them. The work is composed of total 13 paragraphs. One can see that the arrangement of the paragraphs is well-balanced, considering their volumes. The work demonstrates its strength with respect to the accuracy of expression. Especially, the poetic work taps into the Jeju dialect to boost its exotic mood and upgrade the beauty of its expression. Unlike Jeju Travel Song, the poem does not reveal the entertainment as expected in travel destinations but describes the local cuisine with extraordinary interest. Jeju Travel Song is a work that is presented to the academic community for the first time. Its author is Yi Hwa-yeong (1925-2008). Yi Hwa-yeong travelled for 3 days on Jejudo and created the lyrical travel poem with 177 lines and 354 phrases in 1980. Jeju Travel Song is notable in that its element of travel is weakened while its lyricism is enhanced, as is not the case with Jejudo Travel. The work is composed of 8 paragraphs. The poem is noteworthy in that it expresses strong sibling ties and exudes a sense of liberation through entertainment in travel destinations. However, it is noted that the latter joy is revealed in the way a nobleman flaunts his taste for arts. In terms of expression, what is noticeable is the utilization of the question & answer and rhetorical question as well as the ending particle of request that have successfully induced readers to the work. Jejudo Travel and Jeju Travel Song, which were created in 1978 and 1980, respectively, have excellently served as catalyst in the revival of gasa, so that gasa may establish itself as a time-honored Korean literary genre. Besides, the two works are valuable records of the travels in the time periods when they were created.