Poet Kim Yeong-nang revisited in English

By Chung Ah-young

Staff reporter

This year marks the 60th anniversary of the outbreak of the Korean War (1950-53) and also the death of Kim Yeong-nang (1903-1950), a poet renowned for his great lyricism in Korean modern literature.

"Until Peonies Bloom: The Complete Poems of Kim Yeong-nang" translated by Brother Anthony of Taize into English has been published in the order of the poem collection edited by Kim Hak-dong published in 1993.

Brother Anthony said in the translator's note that the book chronicles the poems and slightly changed the list of the poet's works and corrected misprints in the Korean originals. "Lying in the Middle of the Road," which was wrongly regarded as another poet's, has been recently included in the list of the poet's works. Also, the book carries a memoir of the poet written by his son Hyeon-cheol.

His early poems written in 1930-35 express praise for nature and celebrate his "beautiful hometown" of Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, that is idealized in his works using the local dialect. At the same time, he also represented a pessimistic world view inspired by the situation of Korea under Japanese colonial rule (1910-1945) and probably the sudden death of his first wife. However, the two characteristics are combined in the overriding pure lyricism of early modern Korean literature.

The poems between 1938 and 1940 are marked by stronger resistance to the Japanese occupation. He wrote about themes such as death and frustration, turning his eyes from the inner world to the realities of the outside world in this period's poems such as "Geomungo," "Carrying Poison" and "Chunhyang."

In 1945-50 from the end of Japanese colonialism to the outbreak of the Korean War, he penned poems supporting a rising nation and lamenting the ideological conflict. His poems portray hope and at the same time despair. Later, he was immersed in dark sorrow over the fratricidal division through ideologies.

Such poems as "Geomungo" (a six-stringed instrument) and "Full of Poison" reveal his strong anti-Japanese sentiment not only as a lyricist but also as a poet of national resistance. He was one of the rare Korean writers who never wrote a single pro-Japanese line despite the heightened crackdown on intellectuals.

His lyrical tones of poetry were influenced by music with his outstanding command of dialect and rhythms. Professor Kim Seon-tae of the Korean department of Mokpo University explained in the book that the native Korean tradition of pure lyricism that can be traced back to Kim So-wol in the 1920s, continued with the emergence of Seo Jeong-ju in the later 1930s. It is widely accepted that this lyricism is characterized as "feminine."

The professor also said that the poet uses the national language to perfection to portray innate feelings and delicate resonance and nuances. "He used traditional rhythms to express feelings of sorrow and longing, which was particularly well-adapted to the lyrical expression of such a dark age.

"His delicate sensitivity in using words is the result of his skill in blending objects and experiences into a single aesthetic impression," the professor said.

Meanwhile, his son recalls his father as "fearsome" like a tiger for his strictness and sonorous voices in the book's epilogue "Memories of My Father." Kim looked sturdy but he also had a soft, emotional side. The son reveals that he was a "fanatic" when it came to music, citing the scholar's analysis that his love for music influenced the musical quality of his writing.

The poet was born in Gangjin, South Jeolla Province, to a wealthy family in 1903, and was originally given the name Kim Yun-sik; Yeong-nang is his pen name. He was killed in a bombing raid during the Korean War, leaving a legacy in the development of new Korean poetry. In 2008, the poet was posthumously awarded the Gold Crown Order of Cultural Merit, the government's highest recognition for achievement in the cultural field.

Brother Anthony is a renowned translator of Korean literature and professor emeritus of English literature at Sogang University. He has contributed to making Korean literature known to the world by masterfully publishing some 25 translations of works of Korean literature and has received numerous translation awards.