Abiding Places, Korea South and North

by Un, Ko

• ISBN13: 9781932195408
• ISBN10: 1932195408
• Format: Paperback
• Copyright: 2007-01-30
• Publisher: Tupelo Pr

Summary

Born in Kunsan (North Cholla Province) in 1933, Ko Un is the most prolific Korean living writer. He has published more than one hundred volumes of poetry, fiction, essays, translations, and drama, and has twice won the prestigious Korean Literature Prize. His poetic language is vivid and colloquial, marked by popular speech rhythms rather than by literary conventions. His intense longing for the reunification of Korea is expressed in many places and his primary concern has always been to express the historic identity of the Korean people as a whole.

Table of Contents

Introduction	iii
Korea: Map	x
Korea: Chronology	xi
Poems
Prologue: Evening	1	(1)
Midday, Port Kampo	2	(1)
The Pine Trees at Chinp'a	3	(2)
Graven Buddhas at Seosan, Southern Ch'ungch'eong	5	(2)
The Venerable Kim Si-seup	7	(2)
Piro Summit, Keumgang / Diamond Mountain	9	(1)
Seosura	10	(2)
Seosura, Again	12	(2)
Ch'ilbo Mountain	14	(2)
Sangpyeong Pond	16	(2)
Yalu River	18	(2)
Komo Ridge	20	(1)
A Word about Ancient Ulleung Island	21	(1)
The Address: 101 Hyeonjeo-dong, Seoul	22	(1)
Around Unmun Temple at Ch'eongdo	23	(1)
Blank	24	(2)
Ghost Song	26	(1)
Kuwol/ Nine Moons Mountain	27	(1)
The News of Flowers	28	(1)
Kama Ridge: Palanquin	29	(2)
Under Taech'ung Summit	31	(1)
Keumgang-gul / Diamond Cave	32	(1)
Pukch'eong Lion Dance	33	(2)
The Tablet of Pubyeongnu Pavilion, Pyongyang	35	(2)
Seokguram Grotto, T'oham Mountain	37	(1)
Kaema High Desert	38	(1)
Women Picking Apple Blossoms	39	(3)
Hyesan / Many Blessings Mountain	42	(2)
Snow Falling	44	(1)
Waterwell Village at Pukch'eong	45	(1)
Near Chueul Hot Spring	46	(2)
That Hermitage	48	(1)
Field	49	(1)
Ch'eonji / Heaven's Lake, Paekdu Mountain	50	(1)
Again, Ch'eonji	50	(1)
White Clothes	51	(2)
Supung Lake	53	(2)
Paeng-nyeong Island	55	(1)
Orphans	56	(2)
Passing through Suan, P'yeongwon Highway, Northern Hwanghae	58	(1)
Naejang Mountain	59	(1)
Ose Hermitage, Inner Passage, Mt. Seorak	60	(1)
Hangul / The Alphabet	61	(4)
Chabi / Mercy Crest	65	(2)
Samsu / Three Waters	67	(1)
The Grave of the Sea	68	(1)
Mara Island	69	(1)
Women of Chin Island	70	(2)
Facing the Sunrise over the Eastern Sea	72	(1)
P'aesu River	73	(2)
Ch'eonseondae / Heavenly Sage Terrace, Mt. Seorak	75	(1)
Aoji Mine	76	(2)
Wonsan, Kalma Peninsula	78	(1)
Ose Hermitage, Again	79	(2)
Mr. Lee Gye-jo	81	(2)
Or-Yuk / The Five-Six Islands	83	(1)
Nabawi	84	(1)
Stone Pagoda, Pohyeon Temple	85	(2)
Way of the Geese	87	(2)
Hadan	89	(1)
Eternity Bridge at Hamheung	90	(1)
In the Mountains: Main Street, Nangnim	91	(1)
Unju / Cloud-Dwelling Ship-in-Motion Temple	92	(2)
Heoryung / Place of Peaceful Gatherings	94	(1)
Seonjuk / Bridge of Virtuous Bamboo	95	(2)
Potato Flower	97	(1)
The Nails of Kim Ok-gyun, Revolutionary	98	(1)
Truce Line, East Coast	99	(1)
Mireuk / Maitreya Island Offshore of T'ongyeong	100	(2)
Nokdong Estuary	102	(1)
Grave of Hwang Chin-i	103	(1)
T'omal / Land's End District, Haenam	104	(1)
Kulp'o Village	105	(1)
Wihwa Island	106	(2)
Moak Mountain	108	(1)
Namsan / South Mountain, Kyeongju	109	(2)
Nuch'en Hermitage	111	(3)
Pyongyang	114	(1)
Seonyu Island	115	(2)
Kwanghwa / Gate of Enlightenment	117	(2)
A Day of Two Rocks	119	(1)
Choch'iwon, Southern Ch'ungch'eong	120	(1)
Tangun's Tomb	121	(2)
Crimson Leaves	123	(2)
Frozen Potato Noodles	125	(2)
Kwangju	127	(1)
Hongnyu / Red Maple Village	128	(1)
An Unfinished Poem	129	(3)
Peakdu / Silver-Haired Mountain	132	(1)
Truce Line	133	(1)
Postscript	134	(3)
Notes	137