Table of Contents
윤동주 “자화상”
Thematic
Analysis
Key
Takeaways
Grammatical
Analysis of the Poem
Introduction
to the Poet
✒️
윤동주 “자화상”
산모퉁이를 돌아
논가 외딴 우물을
홀로 찾아가선
가만히 들여다봅니다.
우물 속에는
달이 밝고
구름이 흐르고
하늘이 펼치고
파아란 바람이 불고
가을이 있습니다.
그리고 한 사나이가 있습니다.
어쩐지 그 사나이가 미워져 돌아갑니다.
돌아가다 생각하니
그 사나이가 가엾어집니다.
도로 가 들여다보니
사나이는 그대로 있습니다.
다시 그 사나이가 미워져 돌아갑니다.
돌아가다 생각하니
그 사나이가 그리워집니다.
우물 속에는
달이 밝고 구름이 흐르고
하늘이 펼치고
파아란 바람이 불고
가을이 있고
추억처럼
사나이가 있습니다.
Written
in 1939 during the dark period of Japanese occupation, Self-Portrait reflects
Yun Dong-ju’s deep introspection. Through the motif of a well, the poet faces
his reflection- his shame, compassion, and longing—unfolding in calm,
restrained language that gently reveals an intensely personal journey.
🎙️ Recitation
[Source] YouTube, 미디어로그영화
📌 In the above video, two poems by Yun Dong-ju are recited. I will now play the second poem, "Self-Portrait."
✒️ Thematic Analysis
Self-Portrait is
a poetic exploration of the poet's inner self, seen through the symbolic image
of a solitary well.
• The
well becomes a mirror for self-reflection, revealing the poet's idealized or
pure past self, represented by nature's elements like the moon, wind, and
autumn.
• “The
man” in the poem is the poet, embodying feelings of self-hatred, pity, and
yearning.
• The
repeated cycle of hating, pitying, and missing himself mirrors the
psychological struggle between his passive reality and his yearning for a
nobler identity.
• The
consistent use of declarative sentences and a calm tone is a confessional
voice, making the reader a silent witness to his internal reckoning.
• Set
against the backdrop of colonial Korea, the poem reveals a poet burdened by
guilt for his inaction, but also full of profound human empathy toward that
helpless self.
🌙 Stanza 1
“산모퉁이를
돌아
논가
외딴
우물을
홀로
찾아가선
가만히
들여다봅니다.”
“Turning
around the mountain path, I go alone / To a secluded well by the rice paddies /
And quietly gaze into it.”
→
The speaker gazes into the well, which serves as a metaphor for introspection.
The well becomes a mirror reflecting both past and present, offering a moment
of solitary reflection.
🌙 Stanza 2
“우물 속에는 달이 밝고 구름이 흐르고 하늘이 펼치고 파아란 바람이 불고 가을이 있습니다.”
“In
the well, the moon is bright, / Clouds drift, / The sky stretches wide, / Blue
winds blow, / And autumn is there.”
→
The reflected scene inside the well depicts a pure and dreamlike world—an
idealized self or reality the poet yearns for, untouched by pain or compromise.
🌙 Stanza 3
“그리고 한 사나이가
있습니다. / 어쩐지
그
사나이가
미워져
돌아갑니다.”
“And
there is a man. / For some reason, I hate him and walk away.”
→
The man in the well is the poet himself. This moment expresses
self-loathing—perhaps toward his passive self, a self shaped by the colonial
reality he cannot resist.
🌙 Stanza 4
“돌아가다
생각하니
그
사나이가
가엾어집니다. / 도로
가
들여다보니
사나이는
그대로
있습니다.”
“As
I walk away, I begin to feel sorry for him. / I return and gaze again—the man
is still there.”
→
Pity replaces hatred. The poet empathizes with his helpless self, unable to
escape the constraints of his time. He sees the man lingering in the same spot,
unchanged, unmoved.
🌙 Stanza 5
“다시 그 사나이가
미워져
돌아갑니다. / 돌아가다
생각하니
그
사나이가
그리워집니다.”
“Again,
I begin to hate the man and walk away. / Then I realize—I miss him.”
→
A cycle of emotions unfolds, from hatred to longing. The poet wrestles with his
dual identity—the part he despises and the part he deeply longs to return to.
🌙 Stanza 6
“우물 속에는 달이 밝고 구름이 흐르고 하늘이 펼치고 파아란 바람이 불고 가을이 있고
/ 추억처럼
사나이가
있습니다.”
“In
the well, the moon is bright, / Clouds drift, / The sky stretches wide, / Blue
winds blow, / Autumn is there, / And like a memory, the man remains.”
→
The poem ends with a return to the opening image, but now the man is "like
a memory"—no longer just a reflection, but a part of the poet’s past self,
evoking both loss and nostalgia. The internal conflict settles into quiet
remembrance.
🎯 Key Takeaways
1. 산모퉁이
A curved
corner or bend in a mountain road or path. It often evokes a poetic or
nostalgic image in Korean literature.
📌
Example Usage
"산모퉁이를
돌자 고요한 마을이 나타났다."
"As
I turned the mountain bend, a quiet village appeared."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
길모퉁이
(Street corner) – Often used for city or town roads, not nature-related.
📌
Example Usage
"길모퉁이에
작은 분식집이 있다."
"There's
a small snack bar at the street corner."
2. 논 / 밭
“논” is a rice paddy field, typically flooded. “밭” is a dry field used for crops other than rice.
📌
Example Usage
"어릴
적 논과 밭에서 뛰놀던 기억이 난다."
"I
remember playing in the rice paddies and crop fields as a child."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
들판 (Open
field or plain) – Refers to a wide, open agricultural area.
📌
Example Usage
"들판에는
노랗게 벼가 익어가고 있었다."
"The
rice was ripening to a golden yellow in the open field."
3. 외딴 우물
An
isolated well, often symbolizing solitude, introspection, or forgotten places.
📌
Example Usage
"그
외딴 우물은 아무도 찾지 않는 곳에 있었다."
"That
isolated well was in a place no one ever visited."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
버려진 우물
(Abandoned well) – Focuses more on neglect or decay.
📌
Example Usage
"버려진
우물가에 잡초가 무성했다."
"Weeds
grew thick around the abandoned well."
4. 홀로 찾아가다
To go
somewhere alone, especially with a personal or emotional purpose.
📌
Example Usage
"그는
옛 추억이 있는 곳을 홀로 찾아갔다."
"He
went alone to the place filled with old memories."
🌀
Similar Expressions
혼자 가다
(Go alone) – More neutral, everyday phrasing without emotional weight.
📌
Example Usage
"혼자
여행을 떠나고 싶다."
"I
want to go on a trip alone."
5. 가만히
Quietly,
motionlessly, or without disturbing anything.
📌
Example Usage
"그녀는
가만히 창밖을 바라보았다."
"She
quietly gazed out the window."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
말없이
(Without speaking) – Emphasizes silence, often paired with emotional scenes.
📌
Example Usage
"말없이
그의 곁에 앉아 있었다."
"I
sat silently next to him."
6. 들여다봅니다 / 들여다보다
Look
into something literally (like into a well) and figuratively (like into one’s
heart).
📌
Example Usage
"나는
거울 속 나를 들여다보았다."
"I
looked into myself through the mirror."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
응시하다 (To
stare, gaze at) – More formal or intense gaze.
📌
Example Usage
"그는
그녀를 응시했다."
"He
stared at her."
7. 달이 밝다
The moon
is bright—a poetic expression for a clear night or symbolic clarity.
📌
Example Usage
"오늘은
달이 유난히 밝다."
"The
moon is especially bright tonight."
🌀
Similar Expressions
달빛이 환하다
(The moonlight is bright) – Focuses more on the light effect.
📌
Example Usage
"달빛이
환하게 마당을 비추고 있다."
"The
moonlight is brightly illuminating the yard."
8. 구름이 흐르다
The
clouds are drifting or flowing. Often used to depict the passage of time or
emotional transition.
📌
Example Usage
"하늘에
구름이 천천히 흐르고 있었다."
"Clouds
were slowly drifting across the sky."
🌀
Similar Expressions
구름이 지나가다
(Clouds pass by) – More casual and action-focused.
📌
Example Usage
"잠깐
구름이 지나가더니 햇살이 비쳤다."
"After
a cloud passed by, the sun shone through."
9. 하늘이 펼치다
“The sky
unfolds” – metaphorical for a vast or revealing moment, often used in poetic
language.
📌
Example Usage
"새벽
하늘이 서서히 펼쳐졌다."
"The
dawn sky slowly unfolded."
🌀
Similar Expressions
하늘이 열리다
(The sky opens up) – Also poetic, used for revelation or freedom.
📌
Example Usage
"마침내
하늘이 열리고 햇살이 쏟아졌다."
"Finally,
the sky opened and sunlight poured down."
10. 파아란 / 파란 / 푸른
All means
"blue" or "greenish-blue," often used
interchangeably in literary contexts. Blue is symbolic of clarity, youth, or
freshness.
📌
Example Usage
"파아란
하늘을 올려다보았다."
"I
looked up at the deep blue sky."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
맑은 하늘
(Clear sky) – Focuses more on the lack of clouds or pollution.
📌
Example Usage
"맑은
하늘 덕분에 기분이 좋아졌다."
"The
clear sky lifted my spirits."
11. 바람이 불다
The wind
blows. Literal and metaphorical uses are common, such as signaling change or
emotion.
📌
Example Usage
"가을이
오자 차가운 바람이 불기 시작했다."
"As
autumn arrived, a chilly wind began to blow."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
바람이 스친다
(The wind brushes past) – More poetic and emotional nuance.
📌
Example Usage
"그녀의
머릿결을 바람이 스쳐 갔다."
"The
wind brushed past her hair."
12. 가을
Autumn
is often used in Korean literature and drama to symbolize maturity, nostalgia,
or loneliness.
📌
Example Usage
"가을은
왠지 마음이 쓸쓸해지는 계절이다."
"Autumn
is a season that somehow makes the heart feel lonely."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
낙엽의 계절
(The season of falling leaves) – Emphasizes the visual and emotional scenery.
📌
Example Usage
"낙엽의
계절이 되면 산책이 즐겁다."
"Walks
are enjoyable during the season of falling leaves."
13. 사나이
A man,
often implying masculinity, strength, or traditional male identity in literary
or old-fashioned contexts.
📌
Example Usage
"그는
말없이 떠나는 사나이였다."
"He
was a man who left without a word."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
남자 (Man)
– Neutral, commonly used term.
📌
Example Usage
"그
남자는 매우 친절했다."
"The
man was very kind."
14. 어쩐지
Somehow,
or no wonder. Expresses realization or a vague sense of understanding.
📌
Example Usage
"어쩐지
낯이 익다 했더니, 예전에 본 사람이었어."
"No
wonder he looked familiar—it was someone I’d seen before."
15. 미워지다 / 미워하다
To grow
to hate / to hate. Used when emotions turn from affection to dislike.
📌
Example Usage
"사랑하던
그가 점점 미워지기 시작했다."
"The
man I once loved started to become hateful to me."
🌀
Similar Expressions
싫어지다 (To
come to dislike) – Milder than "미워지다."
📌
Example Usage
"그가
자꾸 거짓말을 해서 싫어지기 시작했다."
"I
started disliking him because he kept lying."
16. 돌아갑니다 / 돌아가다
To
return (home, past, original place) can also mean “to pass away,” depending on
the context.
📌
Example Usage
"나는
그 길로 고향으로 돌아갔다."
"I
returned to my hometown along that road."
🌀
Similar Expressions
되돌아가다
(To go back) – Emphasizes retracing one’s steps.
📌
Example Usage
"추억
속으로 되돌아가고 싶다."
"I
want to go back into my memories."
17. 생각하다
To
think, reflect, or consider. The core verb in Korean for expressing thoughts.
📌
Example Usage
"그녀를
생각하면 마음이 따뜻해진다."
"When
I think of her, my heart warms up."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
곰곰이 되새기다
(To deeply reflect on) – Stronger introspective nuance.
📌
Example Usage
"그날의
말을 곰곰이 되새겨 보았다."
"I
reflected deeply on what was said that day."
18. 가엾어집니다 / 가엾어지다
To begin
feeling pity or compassion for someone.
📌
Example Usage
"그의
처지를 알고 나니 가엾어졌다."
"Once
I learned about his situation, I began to pity him."
🌀
Similar Expressions
불쌍하게 느껴지다 (To feel sorry for) – Similar emotional nuance but more casual.
📌
Example Usage
"그
아이가 너무 불쌍하게 느껴졌다."
"I
felt so sorry for that child."
19. 도로 가다
To go
back the way one came. Often used in contrast to progress or forward movement.
📌
Example Usage
"나는
마음이 바뀌어 도로 집으로 갔다."
"I
changed my mind and went back home."
🌀
Similar Expressions
다시 가다
(Go again/back) – More neutral, used in various contexts.
📌
Example Usage
"잊은
물건을 가지러 다시 갔다."
"I
went back to get what I forgot."
20. 그리워집니다 / 그리워지다 / 그리워하다
To miss
or long for someone or something. Strong emotional and poetic nuance.
📌
Example Usage
"옛
친구들이 그리워졌다."
"I
began to miss my old friends."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
보고 싶다
(Want to see someone) – More commonly used in everyday speech.
📌
Example Usage
"너무
오래 못 봐서 보고 싶어."
"I
haven’t seen you in so long—I miss you."
21. 추억처럼
It is often used to create a nostalgic or emotional tone like a memory.
📌
Example Usage
"그날의
바람은 추억처럼 다가왔다."
"The
wind that day came to me like a memory."
🎨 Additional
Expressions
기억 속에서
(In one's memory) – Similar function but less poetic.
📌
Example Usage
"그
장면은 아직도 기억 속에 남아 있다."
"That
scene still remains in my memory."
✒️ Grammatical Analysis of the Poem
산모퉁이를 돌아 논가 외딴 우물을 홀로 찾아가선
가만히 들여다봅니다.
- "산모퉁이를": "산모퉁이 (mountain bend)" +
object particle "-를"
- "돌아": "돌다 (to turn)" + connector
"-아" → sequential action
- "논가": "논 (rice field)" + "가 (edge of)"
- "외딴": "외따로 떨어진 (isolated,
remote)"
- "우물을": "우물 (well)" + object
particle "-을"
- "홀로": "alone"
- "찾아가선": "찾아가다 (to go looking for)"
+ connective "-서는" (contracted form: "-선")
- "가만히": quietly, still
- "들여다봅니다": "들여다보다 (to look into)" + formal
present tense "-ㅂ니다"
• “들여다보다” → “들여다본다” (present tense) → formal ending “들여다봅니다”
→
‘Turning around the mountain bend and passing the edge of the rice field, I
quietly look into a remote well alone.’
📝
Meaning
A
solitary journey to an isolated place reflects introspection, solitude, and an
almost ritualistic act of peering into one’s inner world.
우물 속에는 달이 밝고 구름이 흐르고 하늘이 펼치고 파아란 바람이 불고 가을이 있습니다.
- "우물
속에는": "우물 (well)" +
"속 (inside)" + locative particle "-에" + topic particle "-는"
- "달이
밝고": "달 (moon)" +
subject particle "-이" + "밝다 (to be bright)" + connector "-고"
- "구름이
흐르고": "구름 (cloud)" +
subject particle "-이" + "흐르다 (to flow)" + "-고"
- "하늘이
펼치고": "하늘 (sky)" +
subject particle "-이" + "펼치다 (to unfold, spread)" + "-고"
- "파아란": poetic variant of "파란
(blue)"
- "바람이
불고": "바람 (wind)" +
subject particle "-이" + "불다 (to blow)" + "-고"
- "가을이
있습니다": "가을 (autumn)" +
subject particle "-이" + "있다 (to be, exist)" + formal ending
→
‘Inside the well, the moon is bright, clouds flow, the sky spreads wide, blue
wind blows, and autumn is present.’
📝
Meaning
The well
mirrors a complete inner universe filled with serene, natural elements,
symbolizing memory, beauty, and a quiet passage of time.
그리고 한 사나이가 있습니다.
- "그리고": and
- "한
사나이가": "한 (one)" +
"사나이 (man)" + subject particle "-가"
- "있습니다": "있다 (to be)" + formal
present tense
→ ‘And
there is a man.’
📝
Meaning
A sudden
human presence within the tranquil imagery adds weight to the introspective
symbolism, hinting at a confrontation with the self.
어쩐지 그 사나이가 미워져 돌아갑니다.
- "어쩐지": somehow, for some reason
- "그
사나이가": "그 (that)" +
"사나이 (man)" + subject particle "-가"
- "미워져": "미워지다 (to come to hate)" +
connective ending “-어”
- "돌아갑니다": "돌아가다 (to return, go
back)" + formal present tense
→ ‘For
some reason, I hate that man and turn away.’
📝
Meaning
A
spontaneous feeling of dislike reflects inner conflict and unresolved emotions
toward the self or one’s past.
돌아가다 생각하니 그 사나이가 가엾어집니다.
- "돌아가다": "to return" (base form used nominally)
- "생각하니": "생각하다 (to think)" + causal
connector "-니 (because, as)"
- "그
사나이가": "그 (that)" +
"사나이 (man)" + subject particle "-가"
- "가엾어집니다": "가엾다 (to be pitiful)" +
change-of-state suffix "-어지다" + formal
present tense
• “가엾다” → “가엾어지다” → formal ending “가엾어집니다”
→ ‘As I
think after turning away, the man becomes pitiable.’
📝
Meaning
Regret
and empathy emerge upon reflection, showing the complexity of inner emotional
states.
도로 가 들여다보니 사나이는 그대로 있습니다.
- "도로": back again
- "가": "가다 (to go)" + connective
ending “-아”
- "들여다보니": "들여다보다 (to look into)" +
connector "-니" (because/upon)
- "사나이는": "사나이 (man)" + topic
particle "-는"
- "그대로": as it is
- "있습니다": to be, remain, formal ending
→ ‘Going
back and looking in again, the man is still there as he was.’
📝
Meaning
Despite
emotional turbulence, the core self remains unchanged, ever present at the
center of introspection.
다시 그 사나이가 미워져 돌아갑니다.
- "다시": again
- "그
사나이가": "그 (that)" +
"사나이 (man)" + subject particle
- "미워져": “미워지다 (comes to be hated)” + connective
ending “-어”
- "돌아갑니다": returns, goes away
• “돌아가다” → formal
ending “돌아갑니다”
→
‘Again, I come to hate that man and turn away.’
📝
Meaning
A
repetition of emotions shows cyclical self-rejection and unresolved internal
struggle.
돌아가다 생각하니 그 사나이가 그리워집니다.
- "돌아가다": “돌아가다 (to return)” + connective
ending “-다가”
• “돌아가다” → “돌아가다가” → “돌아가다” (contraction)
• “-다가”: a connective
ending that indicates the continuation, interruption, or transition of actions
- "생각하니": upon thinking
- "그
사나이가": subject
- "그리워집니다": "그립다 (to miss)" + "-어지다 (become)" + formal present tense
• “그립다” → “그리워지다” → “그리워집니다”
→ ‘After
returning, I began to long for that man.’
📝
Meaning
The
cycle completes with longing, revealing a deep inner desire for reconciliation
with the self.
우물 속에는 달이 밝고 구름이 흐르고 하늘이 펼치고 파아란 바람이 불고 가을이 있고
- "우물
속에는": in the well (topic)
- "달이
밝고": the moon is bright and
- "구름이
흐르고": clouds flow and
- "하늘이
펼치고": the sky spreads and
- "파아란
바람이 불고": blue wind blows and
- "가을이
있고": autumn exists and
→
‘Inside the well, the moon is bright, clouds flow, the sky spreads, the blue
wind blows, and autumn is present, and...’
추억처럼 사나이가 있습니다.
- "추억처럼": "추억 (memory)" + comparison
particle "-처럼 (like)"
- "사나이가
있습니다": "사나이 (man)" +
subject particle “-가” + formal ending "있습니다 (to be)"
→ ‘There
is a man, like a memory.’
📝
Meaning
The man becomes
a symbol of cherished memories, resolving the internal tension with nostalgic
acceptance.
✒️ Introduction to the Poet
Please
refer to the link below for an introduction to poet Yun Dong-ju and his
representative works.
🔖
Yun Dong-ju’s ‘Prologue’ Explained: Korean Poem of Conscience and Resistance
🔖
Korean Poetry Explained: The Emotional Depth of Yun Dong-ju’s “Byeol HeneunBam”
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