This essay collection by poet Do Jong-hwan explores the relationship between nature and humanity. As readers turn the pages, they find solace in the green rain that seeps into a parched heart. The author offers sentences that cool the boiling kettle of emotions.
Do recounts hearing the phrase "You are finished now" multiple times throughout his life, whether during his time in prison for educational activism or when he became a member of the National Assembly. Despite these challenges, he views life as a long journey of repeatedly starting anew at the end of the road. He embraces his fate with humility, much like nature's greenery, believing that life, like flowers that bloom and wither, is a cycle of endings and beginnings.
He quotes the philosopher Jeong Yak-yong, stating that recovery is not about returning to a state before the wound but about definitively breaking free from it. In an era filled with noise that incites hatred, he emphasizes the need for courage to confront inner wounds and the strength to begin again, asserting that literature can provide that power.
The book discusses loss, aging, and the traces life leaves behind, reflecting on life through the lens of natural imagery, such as ginger flowers and evening primroses. The ginger flower, which blooms again when the time is right, symbolizes life's renewal, while the evening primrose and moth remind us that every being is precious. He encourages readers to embrace each other with kindness, just as good green tea is brewed from cooled water, and to live beautifully, revealing their lovely faces and hearts to the world.
"In our lifetime, we will leave behind painful traces. We may leave behind shameful marks. There may be unquenchable grudges. If we think of these as karma that accumulates and leads to reincarnation, it can be unsettling. Will we all leave traces? Of course, we will. What kind of traces will we leave? That thought can be frightening." (p. 93)
햇생강이 나오면=강우근 외 22인 지음, 박준 외 엮음, 창비.
This anthology brings together the freshest voices in contemporary Korean poetry. In celebration of the 60th anniversary of Creation and Criticism, it features works by 23 poets who have debuted within the last decade, including Kim Bona, Yoo Seon-hye, Lim Yu-young, and Joo Min-hyun. Each poet's work is paired with a short prose piece titled "To the Next Reader" by poets Park Jun, Ahn Hee-yeon, Hwang In-chan, and critic Song Jong-won, which aims to bridge the gap between poetry and its readers.
The title is derived from the opening line of poet Nam Hyun-ji's poem "햇" (Fresh). Like fresh ginger just breaking through the soil, the poems in this collection awaken dulled senses with their sharp flavors. This book serves as a great starting point for readers who find poetry challenging, allowing them to explore 23 distinct voices and discover their preferences. The "To the Next Reader" sections resemble letters from fellow poetry lovers, offering hints on which lines to linger over and what emotions may be hidden within.
"We tasted the sharpness of 'fresh ginger' in the sentences woven by 23 young poets. Sometimes, they pierce the monotony of daily life with pointed language, and at other times, they reveal the irony of our reality through cool black comedy. Yet, at the end of this spicy outpouring, there remains a strangely poignant fragrance and a transformative energy that awakens our old senses." (pp. 5-6)
포옹이 풀어지는 계절=김소연 외 지음, 아침달.
The summer poetry collection The Season of Unraveling Embraces features a curated selection of poems from the first 55 volumes of the Morning Moon series, focusing on the essence of summer. Twenty poets, including Kim So-yeon, Kim Eon, Kim Young-mi, Sim Bo-seon, Oh Eun, Yoo Gye-young, and Yoo Hee-kyung, explore summer landscapes through various perspectives.
"The sunlight is coming, the widening mouth of sunlight swallows the grass field. As we are pushed away by the sunlight, we gradually lose our walking space.
Let’s go to a cool place.
We advance further and further." (from 'Outdoor Walk')
* This article has been translated by AI.
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