한국 한시에 나타난 국화의 의미

Meaning of Chrysanthemum in Sino-Korean Poetry in Korea

Chrysanthemum is a flower representing fall and has not only beauty in exterior look but also a fixed image. In other words, it symbolizes a hermit with fidelity as a flower blooming in autumn frost. Afterwards, it has been a conventional symbol of morality that a classical scholar should have. The symbolism of chrysanthemum as recluse and morality has made great effects on writers in Korea and they have reflected it in their poetry as follows. First, they perceived chrysanthemum as ‘Sublimate of noble personality.’ Our ancestors affected by Confucianism grew chrysanthemum at home while living as a hermit in the nature when they left offices like Tau Yan Ming. It is because chrysanthemum has symbolized loyalty of loyal subjects and patriots to keep fidelity as showing its noble look in wild wind and frost. Additionally, writers not only grew chrysanthemum but also used it as a subject of their literature to express their npb;e fidelity and loyalty. Second, they perceived it as ‘a medium of drinking and friendship.’The origin of drinking chrysanthemum wine beside chrysanthemum flowerbed in an autumn day tracks back to 『Iso(離騷)』. Afterwards, on Jungyangjeol (the ninthday of the ninth lunar month) people drink wine keeping wine container under chrysanthemum in Chinese cultural zone making it as an customary event called kukhwajun(菊花樽). Our ancestors drank chrysanthemum wine to appreciate chrysanthemum, interacted with friends appreciating chrysanthemum, appreciated chrysanthemum to deal with loneliness at the moon night, and wrote poems to express their feelings for chrysanthemum. Therefore, it is very difficult distinguish chrysanthemum symbolizing autumn from that as background of wind drinking. Third, they perceived it as ‘a representative node order in autumn.’ In Chinese cultural zone, people usually express seasonal changes as changes in the nature such as flowers which are familiar with people. Chrysenthemum (Kukhwa in Korean) is the representative flower of fall calling the ninth lunar month as Kukwol, Kukryeong and Kukchu. Additionally, as autumn had images of harvest and being withering [death], poets and painters felt delight and hollowness together in fall. Therefore, the image of chrysanthemum has delight and hollowness at the same time according to the position and psychology of the speaker.