For these two poets with their separate pur-
poses, nature provided a constellation of images
readers can recognize and see anew, in light of the
messages conveyed in the poems that use them.
The natural images carry the poet’s message, con-
necting with what readers already know, have
experienced, and now remember. The poetry is
designed to enlighten readers and to give them a
purpose and direction. In each case, the poet
believes that what his art does is transformative;
the effect is one of new understanding and more
certain conviction that choosing a certain course
of action can change people’s lives.
Source:Melodie Monahan, Critical Essay on ‘‘River of
August,’’ inPoetry for Students, Gale, Cengage Learning,
2010.
Yi Sang-So ̆p
In the following essay, Sang-So ̆p gives an overview
of the poetry of Pak Tu-jin and relates different
poetic themes in the poet’s works to different time
periods in his life.
Pak Tu-jin, one of the most respected poets
of Korea, has been writing poetry for almost half
a century. When he began to publish his poetry
in the late 1930’s, Korea was experiencing the
cruelest sort of oppression under the Japanese
militarist government. The national liberation in
1945 was followed by the tragic division of the
nation, which resulted in the outbreak of the war
in 1950. The post-bellum inefficiency and cor-
ruption of the government typical of poor new
nations brought about the student uprising in
- The military takeover of the government
in 1961 initiated a highly centralized political
structure at the expense of some democratic
ideals.
All these historical events have left deep
traces in Pak’s poetry. But history is not reflected
in poetry as in a plain mirror. It is deflected, and
the degree of the deflection is hardly measurable.
Some deflections are of such a nature that they
may be better called sublimations.
Pak Tu-jin’s poetry embodies the sublima-
tion of his varied experiences. He displays a
unique power in finding appropriate ‘‘objective
correlatives’’ to his experiences. His poetry bears
excellent witness to the belief of the supremacy
of poetry over history, an article of faith held by
all poets from ancient times.
‘‘The Sun,’’ an early poem written during the
darkest days of Japanese oppression, is one of
the best-known poems by Pak Tu-jin.
Sun, come forth! Sun, come forth! With your
face washed clear, handsome sun, come forth!
Over the hills, over the hills, consuming the dark-
ness, over the hills, all the night through, con-
suming the darkness; with glowing childlike face,
handsome sun, come forth!
No more moonlight nights, no more moonlight
nights, I hate moonlight nights in tear-like val-
leys, I hate moonlight nights alone in the empty
yard.
Sun, handsome sun! If you only come, if only you
come, I, I will exult in the green hills. I rejoice in
the green mountains with their green wings flap-
ping. In the presence of the green hills I am
content to be alone.
After the deer, after the deer toward the sunny
spots, toward the sunny spots, following the deer,
meeting the deer and playing with the deer.
After the striped tiger, after the striped tiger,
meeting the tiger and playing with the tiger.
Sun, handsome sun, come forth! If I meet you
face to face, not just in my dream, we shall
rejoice together in that fresh day of innocent
beauty when flowers and birds and beasts sit
down together in one place, are all called to
come and sit down together.
A Western reader of this poem may not find
anything very striking in the use of the sun as the
subject. To him, the sun is one of the most famil-
iar natural symbols connected with a lot of
important aspects of human life. But in Oriental
literature, the sun as a symbol has not been so
frequently used as in the West, at least not to the
extent that the stars and the moon have been
used. But in this poem Pak seems quite deliber-
ate in presenting the sun as the central image,
exalting it over the moon, which is shining on an
empty yard in the valley—a perfect subject for
traditional Oriental poetry.
‘‘With your face washed clear, handsome
sun’’ shocks the Korean reader further. TheTHE FOREIGNERS HAD REASONS FOR
PERSECUTING HIM AND MOST KOREANS, BUT HE
WAS NOW EXPELLED FROM HIS LOVED TEACHING
POSITION FOR THE MOST ABSURD REASON. IT WAS
PURE VIOLENCE.’’River of August