Is there a Korean version of Haiku?

[mariefrenette]

Bouks씨

Thanks for responding to my post. My Korean is not good enough to explain this very well, and you may not understand my improvising so, I'll write it in English.

How interesting that you should ask about Korean poetry similar to Haiku style. I recently had an interesting experience related to it. I have a conversation partner that I got through a website I really like called hanlingo.com. It doesn't offer any lessons like Koreanclass101, rather it's just a medium to connect with people around the world and learn each other's languages. Similar to livemocha, but more Korea centric so I like it better.

Through that site, I met a really great language partner. We chat through skype often and when I went to Seoul he toured me around, showed me awesome neighborhoods, tea houses, theatre etc... It is from 세형씨 that I learned about 시조.

I spent only an hour or so learning about it, but here's what I know. The Korean people who are reading will be able to add more information, I'm sure.

The rules of 시조 are that each word should have a certain number of syllables and each of the 3 lines should have a certain number of words. It seems to be a little flexible. Mostly either 3 or 4 syllables but changing in the 3rd line.

시조 규칙 (Rules of 시조)
3(4) 3(4) 3(4) 3(4)
3(4) 3(4) 3(4) 3(4)
3 5 3(4) 3(4)

This is what I was told, but searching naver, it looks a little more complicated.

Could someone explain a little more? I found this blog and it seems to explain a lot but I can't understand well... ㅠㅠ
http://cafe.naver.com/niaweb/901

Here is a very famous 시조 that seems to not follow the rules exactly. It has a fascinating story to accompany it. Briefly, at a time of dynasty change in Korea the new king asked the servant of the old king to come and serve him.

The servant replied that even if he had to die again and again 100 times he would never do that, out of loyalty for his king. And he really did die because of it. From what I understand, he wrote his reply to the king in a 시조.

< 단심가 >

이몸이/죽고죽어/일백번/고쳐죽어/

백골이/진퇴되어/넋이라도/있고없고/

임 향한/일편단심이야/가실 줄이/있으랴/

My friend 세형씨 used to win poetry competitions when he was a kid, and has a pretty poetic mind. We went to 남산 tower together and he got all contemplative for a bit and composed this 시조, which is supposed to be a secret cause he doesn't thinks it sounds like a kids poem (or was just being humble).

남산에 올라와서 창밖을 내다보니
모두가 목적지로 유유히 흘러간다
혼자서 방황을하는 시간을 향유한다

That is the end of my 시조 information reserve.

If there are any 시조 experts out there, help us out!!! ^^

[Bouks]

That is very interesting. Thank you for posting that. It would seem that the Japanese poetic form became popular here because the form is much simpler. I would be interested to hear some Korean poetry being recited (with a translation accompanying) if anyone has an example.

[Enkiae]

http://hompi.sogang.ac.kr/anthony/

This person is a prominent Korean literature scholar, and has published many bilingual texts (one page in the original Korean, the other side has the English translation), including poetry. I recommend 천상병 "귀천" (Back to Heaven by Chon Sang Pyong). He has a simple, elegant style that is also very helpful for studying

[javiskefka]

Brother Anthony's the bomb .

[the_haunted_boy]

I would think that a Haiku would still be a Haiku if the syllables were used right.

I have heard some Korean poetry and it was poetic, of course.