If poetry is speaking, there should be the speaker and hearer in it ; thus the existence of literature can be established through the mutual communicative relationship between the speaker and the hearer.
When we talk about the speaker in poetry, ther...
If poetry is speaking, there should be the speaker and hearer in it ; thus the existence of literature can be established through the mutual communicative relationship between the speaker and the hearer.
When we talk about the speaker in poetry, there arises the problem of how long a distance between the poet and the speaker we should recognize.
The primary obective of this study is aimed at finding out what role the speaker plays and in what from he is positioned in the structures of modern poetry.
This study begins with delving into the existing theories on the speaker in poetry and sets up a new type of speaker by replenishing incomplete elements. A systematic analysis of poems based on this newly established type of speaker follows. Lastly a study of the relationship between the speaker and stream in the history of poetry is dealt with.
After reviewing the existing types of speaker in poetry, this researcher thinks it possible to set up mutually contrasting types of speaker according as the poetic speaker surfaces or not and establishes the following types of speaker.
A. manifest speaker
1. fictitious speaker
2. poet-oriented speaker
B. implies speaker
1. observer-like speaker
1-1. self-intervening speaker
1-2. delineating speaker
1-3. explaining speaker
2. presenter-like speaker
1-2. imagist speaker
2-2. form-presenting speaker
2-3. message-presenting speaker
The following are a synthesis of characteristic analyses of the poetic speakers classified according to the above-mentioned types.
(1) In the fictitious speaker type, the poet sets up a hero in his poems and adjusts himself to the poetic atmosphere by letting the hero speak.
(2) In the poet-oriented speaker type, the poet's philosophy of life approaches poetic objects and his empathy is carried out in the original forms of lyrical poetry.
(3) In the self-intervening speaker type, the speaker's form is elucive but the entire stream and image of a poem is modulated and the poet's emotions are deeply planted in the objects.
(4) In the delineating and explaining speaker type, neither the speaker nor the hearer appears in poems at all and speaker, as an objective correlative, delineates or explains the situation ; therefore this is a type which shows no revelation of the speaker's emotions at all.
(5) In the imagist speaker type, extreme images of inhuman and materialistic nature block human emotions severely, using dry images instead.
(6) In the form and message presenting types, the speaker' s emotions are heavily blocked, language is rejected ; thus traditional poetic frames are destroyed. This type changes poems into signs or messages by arranging symbols, pictures and words arbitrarily.
The following are the results of study on the developemental coures of the poetic speakers shown in modern Korean literary history.
(1) The 1920s was an era when two giants, Lee Kwang-soo and Choe Nam-seon, reigned over the Korean literary world entirely. During the period new civilization and thoughts were emphasized ; thus a male poetic speaker with a sonorous voice as well as an eloquent or preaching tone was set up.
(2) In the 1920s, there appeared many poetic speakers showing sentimental emotions represented by tears, sorrow, despair, closet, darkness and wandering with a sorrowful female voice under the influence of decadent romanticism.
(3) The poetic speaker types of the 1930s bad diverse voices and forms ; the School of Life emphaizing self-will, the Literature of Poetry School setting up the poetic speaker of feminine nature, and the Intellectual School upholding the observing and describing poetic speaker.
(4) The 1940s was a dark era of the Japanese oppression when the nature describing speaker of the Cheong-rok School and the patriotic, transcendent poetic speaker of the Resistance School appeared.
(5) The 1950 was a period characteristic of social confusion in the wake of the national liberation and the inflow of western civilization. During the diverse poetic speakers the existence-conscious speaker, the religiously contemplative including the surrealistic, traditional and lyrical speaker, describing poetic speaker appeared.
(6) The 1906s and 1970s was an age when Schools of Purity and Participation competed with each other. During the period there appeared the lyrical poetic speaker as cbracterized by "A Collection of Flowery Language in the 1960s", the meaning presenting speaker of the Modern Poetry School, and real-situation and history conscious poetic speaker of the New Spring School.
(7) Nowadays many poetic speakers in divers forms of poetry with voices and peculiarities showing modern senses of our socio-industrial world are appearing.
It is expected that discussion of poetic speakers, which is sure become more active in the future, will positively contribute to the understanding and generalization of poetry.