Ko Un; Translated by Brother Anthony of Taize et al; Green Integer: 365 pp., $15.95
Prominent poet Ko Un’s collection of poems has been translated into English in this pocket-sized book.
The book chronicles his poems by era from the “Early Poems” (1960-1970); “Turning Point” (1971-1980); “Homeland Stars” (1981-1990); “The Thousand Lives” (begun 1984); “Windy Days” (1991-2000); and “New Poems” (2000-2002).
Ko’s poetry represents an index of the history of modern Korean poetry and of the country’s modern history.
The book describes Ko as not only an eyewitness but also as an actor in the history of his time through his poetry, which is full of expressions of suffering but at the same time of hope as it reveals the vicissitudes of Korea’s modern history.
The collection epitomizes his life-long dedication to modern Korean literature and gives a brief biography of his life along with explaining the periodical characteristics of his poems.
“Ko Un is, indeed, like a force of nature … Within poetry, the amazing array of kinds of poetry you’ll find here has caused literary critics to call him ‘The Ko Uns’ rather than Ko Un,” Brother Anthony writes in the introduction.
-Chung Ah-young