dumbfoundry

Korea’s senior poet, Kim Chun-su, died on the morning of Nov. 29 after being in a coma for several months. [...]

As a poet, Kim was a purist and experimentalist. From the early 1970s, he repeatedly declared that he did not believe in ideas, let alone ideologies, or in history. He was most influenced by Rilke in the early phase of his career, but in later years he advocated what he called ``the poetry of no meaning.’’ The ’60s were a transition period between his early and later years. ``Taryongjo Kita (The Ballad Tune and Other Poems)’’ (1969), his fifth volume of poetry, contained poems combining the rhythms of Korean folk ballads with a technique of word play as an attempt to critique civilization. ``The poetry of no meaning,’’ which characterized his later years, began in the early ’70s in the second part of ``Choyong Tanjang (The Fragments on Choyong),’’ written on and off over a quarter of a century from the late ’60s and published in its entirety in October 1991. [...]

Kim’s most famous poem is ``Flower,’’ which was written in his early days and showed the influence of the Austro-German poet Rainer Maria Rilke and the philosophy of existentialism. The poem has been ranked as a favorite poem among South Koreans in various polls.

Concerning ``Flower,’’ Kim once said: ``Some people view it as a poem of romance. In truth, however, it is philosophy about language and existentialism.’’ [...]

Flower

Until I spoke his name,
he had been
no more than a mere gesture.
When I spoke his name,
he came to me
and became a flower.
Now speak my name,
one fitting this colour and odour of mine,
as I spoke his name,
so that I may go to him
and become his flower.
We all wish
to become something.
You to me and I to you
wish to become an unforgettable gaze.

This entry was posted by eeksypeeksy on Monday, November 29, 2004 at 11:16 AM. You can skip to the end and leave a response.