Song Chanho (Hangul 송찬호; born 1959) is a South Korean poet.
1. Life
Song Chanho was born in Boeun, South Korea in 1959. He studied German language and literature at Kyungpook National University. He began his literary career in 1987 when several of his poems including “Geumhogang” (금호강 Geumho River) were published in the journal Literature of Our Age. He won the 13th Dongsuh Literary Award and 19th Kim Su-Young Literary Award in 2000, the 8th Midang Literary Award in 2008, the 17th Daesan Literary Award in 2009, and the 3rd Yi Sang Poetry Award in 2010.
2. Writing
Song Chanho writes experimental lyric poetry. His poems create a tension between ontological and aesthetic impulses. His first poetry collection Heulgeun sagakhyeongui gieogeul gatgoitda (흙은 사각형의 기억을 갖고 있다 The Soil Has the Memory of a Square) (1989) portrays the primal pain of death through the image of a square that has no exit. His second poetry collection Sipnyeon donganui bin uija (10년 동안의 빈 의자 The Chair That Remained Empty for Ten Years) (1994) deals with recovering linguistic purity and expanding the scope of language and the world. Bulgeun nun, dongbaek (붉은 눈, 동백 Red Eyes, Camellia) (2000) uses plants as a primary motif, while The Night of the Cat's Return (고양이가 돌아오는 저녁) (2009) criticizes civilization and depicts mythical naturalism with fantastical motifs. Song’s fifth poetry collection Bunhong Namaksin (분홍 나막신 Pink Wooden Shoes) (2016) reflects on existence in more depth. Regarding this collection, literary critic Lee Jae-bok writes that “Song Chanho’s poetry has a classical elegance as the result of his deep reflection on language and existence.”
Reference
1. 소금 창고
“Salt Storage.”
http://terms.naver.com/entry.nhn?docId=3567969&cid=58824&categoryId=58837
2. 송찬호 시인이 말하는 나의 시세계 특강
“Poet Song Chanho’s Talk on His Poetry.”
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=y7GQzzDrD3E
