This paper aims to examine the consciousness in the poems by Dongju Yoon by analyzing forms and understanding meanings which symbolic words suggest in his works.
Firstly, the article approached to find out the correlations between structure and context with the focus of formality which has not been studied much.
Yoon's poems were divided by structure based on the composition of line and stanza and the difference was produced accordingly. His poems basically obtain aesthetical effect by semantic segmentation of lines and stanzas. This shows the close relationship of structure with meaning. The poems could be sorted in a broader sense as free verse, but they could be categorized due to the characteristics of line and stanza as follows : Prose poems which has no distinction of line and stanza or which focus on paragraphs, moderate poems with fixed separation in free style, and dynamic poems with liberal composition of line and stanza.
Yoon's prose poems were experimented vigorously. They impose a sense of reality on inward mentality or outward situation. Complicated and subtle prose structure in prose poems with vivid description of inward mentality expresses sensitive psychological reaction spontaneously. Two-lined poems are the most among Yoon's fixed segmentation style poems. Some of them had a regular stanza separation, and the others modified forms. The poet in rhymed verses substantiates clear awareness on the world and self in harmony with moderate formality Rhymed verses reflect an aesthetic sense for intellectual moderation and balance of emotion. he modified poems without strict moderation, however, describes delicately the changes of poetic sentiments with the harmony of the poet's peculiar inward conflicts with moderate discipline.
Yoon experimented various poetic forms without particular preference. He realized to the fullest extent the harmony of meanings and forms, which was between the beauty of form in fixed styles and the liberal yet dynamic forms with open rhythm in prose. In the liberal and dynamic poems, the poet expressed effectively the inward voice of conflict against overcoming will. The various and dynamic poems corresponded closely with the meaning which reflects Yoon's strong inclination to independent thinking, critical reflection, conflicts from conscience, and resoluteness of practical will.
Secondly, this paper examined the poet's awareness with the overall meaning of poems by observing the symbolic meanings of words in the poems. In his works, 'Liver' is the representing word which symbolizes agony and resistance of inward self. 'Wind' represents real trials and at the same time becomes a means for awakening, which suggests his sense for overcoming the reality. 'Room' is a space to recover the subject to recognize himself in the world and to overcome the real problems that the poet was facing. 'Mirror' is a means for self-reflection to exhibit his self-consciousness for existence.
Yoon's poems let us see his soul through his own works. The overlap of the speaker in poems with the poet himself makes the poems representative. In other words, clearly portrayed is the process of the agony to recognize the world with self and of the longing with independent grope for ultimate aim.
In conclusion, this paper contributes to suggest a direction for adequate understanding on Yoon's poems by analyzing forms and symbols to interpret the poet's consciousness.