This comprehensive narrative history of Korean literature provides essential information for scholars and students as well as others. Combining history and criticism, the study reflects the latest scholarship and includes an account of the development of all genres. In 25 chapters, it covers twentieth-century poetry, fiction by women, and the literature of North Korea. It will be a major contribution to the field and a study that will remain for many years the primary resource for studying Korean literature.

Introduction 
Language, prosody, forms, and themes 
From oral to written literature 
Hyangga 
Silla writings in Chinese 
Koryo songs 
Koryo writings in Chinese 
Early Choson eulogies 
Early Choson Sijo 
Early Choson Kasa 
Late Choson Sijo 
Late Choson Kasa 
Choson poetry in Chinese Kim Hunggyu 
Choson fiction in Chinese Kim Hunggyu 
Choson fiction in Korean 
P'ansor Kim Hunggyu 
Folk drama Kim Hunggyu 
Literary criticism 
Early twentieth-century poetry 
Early twentieth-century fiction by men Kwon Yongmin 
Early twentieth-century fiction by women Carolyn So 
Late twentieth-century poetry by men
Late twentieth-century poetry by women Kim Chongnan 
Late twentieth century fiction by men Kwon Yongmin 
Later twentieth-century fiction by women Ch'oe Yun 
Literature of North Korea Kwon Yongmin 
Korean dynasties 
Notes 
Bibliography 
Suggestions for further reading 
Glossary 
Index 
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