@article{ART003244121},
author={kimjinwook},
title={A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung},
journal={The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture},
issn={2466-1759},
year={2025},
number={56},
pages={69-92}
TY - JOUR
AU - kimjinwook
TI - A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung
JO - The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture
PY - 2025
VL - null
IS - 56
PB - The Society of Korean Poetry and Culture
SP - 69
EP - 92
SN - 2466-1759
AB - This paper presents a comprehensive analysis of the philosophical background, aesthetic consciousness, and stylistic features of the nature poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung (1527–1572), a prominent Neo-Confucian scholar and poet of the mid-Joseon period. As a leading proponent of juriron (the theory of the primacy of principle), influenced deeply by Toegye Yi Hwang, Gobong viewed poetry not merely as a medium of emotional expression, but as an extension of moral practice and self-cultivation. His nature poems go beyond simple descriptions of sensory beauty, aiming instead to facilitate an encounter with dao (道) and to foster introspection into the human condition.
The study first examines Gobong's conception of nature, revealing that he regarded it not merely as an external landscape but as a philosophical mirror for moral awakening and self-perfection. Grounded in the Neo-Confucian worldview that posits the universal presence of li (理, principle) in all things, Gobong interpreted nature as a vital site for ethical reflection. Natural elements such as plum blossoms, bamboo, and lofty mountains are recurrent symbols in his poetry, embodying Neo-Confucian virtues like integrity, humility, and purity. These motifs reflect Gobong’s continuity with Toegye’s poetic tradition and offer insight into the philosophical depth of his poetic world.
The paper then analyzes Gobong’s aesthetic sensibility as manifested in his poetic language. His works balance emotional delicacy with Confucian restraint, achieving a poetic embodiment of the Confucian ideals of moderation (jungyong) and purity (cheongjeong). Gobong’s nature in Gobong’s poetry functions not merely as an object of depiction but as a medium through which the poet’s inner emotions and moral contemplation are expressed. His poems evoke a serene and refined atmosphere, conveying both ethical resonance and emotional tranquility to the reader.
Finally, the paper explores the stylistic characteristics of Gobong’s nature poetry through close readings of representative lines and poems. Eschewing ornate rhetoric, Gobong employed concise and measured language to capture the essence of nature. His poetic imagery is intimately connected to his inner landscape, illustrating the integration of nature, humanity, and literature into a cohesive, organic whole. Through this synthesis, Gobong created a poetic world that transcends the boundary between philosophy and poetics. Nature poetry, thus, stands as the most distinctive and revealing genre of his literary and intellectual identity.
KW - Gobong Gi Dae-seung;nature poetry;Neo-Confucianism;Confucian aesthetics;gyeongmul jeosim;moral cultivation.
DO -
UR -
ER -
kimjinwook. (2025). A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung. The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture, 56, 69-92.
kimjinwook. 2025, "A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung", The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture, no.56, pp.69-92.
kimjinwook "A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung" The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture 56 pp.69-92 (2025) : 69.
kimjinwook. A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung. 2025; 56 : 69-92.
kimjinwook. "A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung" The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture no.56(2025) : 69-92.
kimjinwook. A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung. The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture, 56, 69-92.
kimjinwook. A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung. The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture. 2025; 56 69-92.
kimjinwook. A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung. 2025; 56 : 69-92.
kimjinwook. "A Study on the Nature Poetry of Gobong Gi Dae-seung" The Studies in Korean Poetry and Culture no.56(2025) : 69-92.
