Essays by Na Tae-joo, a poet with a soft heart for the small, low, and fragile

The ultimate collection of essays from a millennium seller who published 190 books, recounting 80 years of his life

A book for everyone who wants life to be more kind-hearted

There is a poet named Na Tae-joo. “Beautiful upon a closer look / Lovely upon a detailed look / So are you” are the words from his poem “Grass Flower,” a famous poem loved by Koreans. Na has published over 190 books, including collections of poetry, prose, and children’s stories. He gives lectures all over Korea to communicate with people from different generations, and dreams of becoming a “useful poet, not a famous poet” who writes “poems that resemble a testament” with death by his side every day. A master of lyrical poetry who has never thought of himself as anything else other than a poet, we call him the “grass flower poet” and a “poet of our nation.”

This poet Na Tae-joo, a “natural-born poet,” publishes his collection of essays Because I Like It to commemorate turning 80 in the Korean age. The book contains his 54 years of experience as a poet since his debut in 1971 as the winner of the Seoul Shinmun New Writer’s Contest. In this book, he shares sincere recollections of what he saw, heard, and felt throughout his life – from his young days as a boy who dreamed of becoming a poet, his 43 years of living alongside kids, his struggle with acute pancreatic cancer, and to his miraculous recovery which made him realize that one should “be kinder to yourself. Forgive yourself and love yourself,” (p. 64) and that “if you feel like crying, do not hold it in; let the tears flow” (p. 136).

The title of the book, Because I Like It, comes from one of his favorite words, ”like.” It is a word that may be ordinary, but sends a warm tickle throughout the mundane everyday life and brings a smile to one’s face. Because I Like It surely holds the poet’s deep intent of wanting to live a life that holds flowers instead of knives. The subtitle of the book is “Life Lessons of Na Tae-joo,” which could also be read as “Lessons from the Days of Na Tae-joo,” since thoughts from living 80 years of his life to the fullest are told in the book.

In “Opening Words,” the poet says he can give up what he eats, wears, sleeps, and rides, then talks about something he cannot give up to first ask himself, and then us: “There are two things I haven’t been able to give up: one is liking people and the other is writing good stories. Maybe those two are rooted in each other. At the end of the day, writing comes from liking people, loving the world, and caring for nature – and I mean it. Without it, one cannot come up with good writing. What do people live for? What is hope, and where do the sense of accomplishment and purpose of life come from?” (p. 11-12).

The word “because” is often used to blame or resent someone. Try using the word “like” with the word “because” – that would lead to less anger and plant a flower seed inside your heart. Opening your fist to shake hands, softening your fierce glare, and turning your pouty lips into a smile all come from the heart that is willing to “like.” Learning to “like” rather than “dislike” makes one’s life worth living. The words and footsteps that encourage readers to understand and love more are all part of this book.