시조의 기러기 수용 양상과 의미 고찰

초록

Nature serves as a subject of academic exploration and personal development for the literary class, known as the sadaebu, in the Sijo genre of poetry. Therefore, natural elements often hold symbolic meanings in Sijo, with animals and plants standing out prominently. Among these, flying birds hold significant symbolic importance. This study, based on previous research, examines the bird that appears most frequently in the Sijo genre—the goose—in terms of its acceptance and symbolic meanings in the Korean Sijo Dictionary. First, the acceptance of geese in Sijo can be categorized into two: when geese appear alone and when they appear in combination with other birds. Among the 131 Sijo examined, geese appeared alone in 106, suggesting that the symbolism of geese is more pronounced than that of other birds. Next, the symbolic meanings of geese in Sijo were categorized into three main themes: “separation,” “bearers of news,” and “autumn.” Firstly, geese often symbolize separation in Sijo, given their characteristic of mating for life and remaining faithful to their partners until death. This aspect is also reflected in traditional wedding customs. In Sijo, geese frequently appear as objective correlatives, reflecting the emotions of the poetic speaker who has lost their partner and feels lonely. Secondly, geese symbolize the bearers of news. As migratory birds that travel between the north and south at specific times, geese are closely associated with this role, evident in poems like “Yansho”(Wild Goose Letter). In Sijo, the absence of geese often signifies the inability to deliver news, reflecting the frustrated and anxious emotions of the poetic speaker. Lastly, geese symbolize autumn. Migrating to Korea as the weather turns colder and returning north in spring; geese become a symbol of the changing seasons. In addition to this, geese encountered during autumn naturally symbolize the season. Although autumn is commonly regarded as a season of harvest and fruition, the chilly weather and high sky create a melancholic and declining atmosphere. In Sijo set in autumn, the predominant sentiment of the poetic speaker is often a sense of loneliness, with geese playing a significant role in conveying this emotion.

키워드