Poetic voices of resistance from Korea's darkest times

From left, Yoon Dong-ju, Yi Sang-hwa and Yi Yook-sa

Eight poignant lines, penned by Yoon Dong-ju, one of Korea's most beloved poets, in November 1941, may be one of the most famous in all of Korean poetry:

Until I breathe my last breath

I wish to face my sky without shame. Even the wind blowing on leaves

Has left me restless.

With a heart singing hymns to the stars

I shall love all that must die;

And I shall walk diligently

Upon the path assigned to me.

Tonight again, the stars are blown by the wind

The untitled poem, widely recognized as "Prologue," appears first in his posthumous collection “Sky, Wind, Stars and Poems.” Reflecting Yoon's struggles and profound hopes for Korea's independence from Japanese rule, the poems transcend the individual, encapsulating the universal human condition through nature's beauty.

"Counting the Stars at Night" and Yoon Dong-ju's graduation picture in 1941 (Resource Publications, Yoon Dong-ju Memorial Hall)

His complete works, comprising 112 verses and four prose pieces, are available in English, translated by Lee Sung-il, emeritus professor of English Literature at Yonsei University. Three of the verses, including the famous piece "Counting the Stars at Night," were translated by Lee’s late father, Lee In-soo, who was also an English professor and editor at the Seoul Times, an English newspaper.

Born in 1917, Yoon's short life was marked by his poignant sensibilities and his unwavering hope for Korea’s independence. He is recognized as one of the most conscientious intellectuals of the Japanese colonial period.

"Close reading of his poetry reveals that his poetic consciousness was heavily charged with the thought of man’s mortality. Not only the fear of untimely death but a transcendental acceptance of it as his fate was ever-present in his consciousness throughout his poetic career," writes Lee Sung-il in the introductory essay in the book.

Yoon died in a Japanese prison on Feb. 16, 1945, at the age of 28, just months before Korea was liberated.

"Does Spring Come Also to These Ravished Fields?" and Yi Sang-hwa (Cross-Cultural Communications, The Academy of Korean Studies)

Yi Sang-hwa, deep longing for motherland

The father-son duo also translated the complete works of two other notable nationalist poets from the Japanese colonial period: Yi Sang-hwa and Yi Yook-sa.

Yi Sang-hwa (1901-1943) is celebrated for his poem "Does Spring Come Also to These Ravished Fields?" (1926), which is among the 61 poems in the titular collection available in a bilingual (Korean-English) edition.

Unto this land no more our own,

Does spring come also to these ravished fields?

Bathed in the sunlight shower,

I go, as if in dreams, along a lane

That cuts the fields like parted hair,

To where the blue of sky and green earth meet.

The opening lines of the poem lead readers as though they are accompanying "I," the narrator, on a stroll through a field ravaged by invaders, explained Lee, speaking to The Korea Herald.

"The poet’s grief over the loss of national sovereignty is more explicitly expressed here. The poem expresses the painful realization (of extortion) and heartfelt love for his homeland," said Lee.

Yi was also a cultural intermediary, for his works incorporated the imagery of Western poetry, especially the symbolism and the sensuality observable in it, entailing nihilistic mood and tone, said Lee. The pessimistic view of life intensified by the bleak conditions of the nation is one of the traits of his poetry.

"The Vertex" and Yi Yook-sa (Somyung Books, Yi Yook-sa Museum)

Yi Yook-sa, man of pen and sword

Yi Yook-sa (1904-1944), another iconic poet and independence activist, is revered for his unwavering resistance and heroic spirit against Japanese colonial rule.

Lee describes Yi as “a man of pen and sword” -- a scholar, journalist and critic deeply engaged in action. Yi was one of the most active independence activists among writers during the Japanese colonial period. His life, marked by multiple imprisonments (17 in total), is a testament to his dedication. Yi adopted his prisoner number, 264 (pronounced "i yuk sa" in Korean), as his pen name after being arrested and spending 18 months in prison for his involvement in the 1927 bombing of the Daegu branch of the Choseon Bank, a channel for the economic exploitation of Korea by the Japanese.

Yi composed only about 36 poems, including three in Chinese, all written during the last 10 years of his life. These works are available in “The Vertex,” compiled and translated by Lee.

The titular poem "The Vertex" (1940) reads:

Lashed by the bitter season's scourge

I'm driven at length to this north.

Where numb circuit and plateau merge

I stand upon the sword-blade frost.

I know not where to bend my knees

Nor where to lay my galled steps

Nought but to close my eyes and think

Of winter as a steel rainbow.

"The enduring spirit of the poets is preserved through these verses, and I hope readers can get a profound glimpse into their distinctive poetic worlds and Korea's rich literary and historical legacy during one of its most challenging periods," said Lee.

By Hwang Dong-hee(hwangdh@heraldcorp.com)