What are the main features of hyangga poetry?

Hyangga, which translates to "native songs," represents the oldest form of Korean poetry, flourishing from the middle period of the Unified Silla dynasty through the early Koryŏ dynasty.1

The main features of hyangga include:

• Transcription System: The poems were recorded using the hyangch'al system, a method that utilized Chinese characters to represent the spoken Korean language.12
• Structure: They were composed in four, eight, or 10 lines. The 10-line form was the most popular, consisting of two four-line stanzas followed by a concluding two-line stanza.1
• Authorship: The poets were typically Buddhist monks or members of the Hwarangdo, a group of youth trained in civil and military virtues.1
• Thematic Content: The works were deeply influenced by Buddhism, with 17 of the 25 extant poems containing Buddhist inspiration and content.1

As with other traditional forms of Korean poetry, hyangga was originally intended to be sung, and its stylistic structure reflects these melodic origins.1