“The morning thinks

about the deep valley of a sleepless man

who tossed and turned all night.”

A masterpiece classic lyric poem by Moon Taejun

A collection of humble poems with a sound desire to live harmoniously with nature

Moon Taejun, who has been loved by many for his concise language and transparent imagery as the quintessence of lyric poetry, has released his eighth poetry collection The Morning Thinks as part of Changbi Siseon . In this collection of poems published after four years, the poet captures in delicate prose a cozy world where nature and humans coexist. Looking at life’s moments within the embrace of numerous living entities, the collection of poems with the heartfelt longing to live in harmony with nature evokes warm emotions. As you read each poem crafted with "dedicated language" and "dedicated mind" (Lee Kyung-soo, commentary) and follow the gentle breath of the poet, you’ll suddenly feel a sense of fulfillment, with your mind and body purified.

Ecological imagination demonstrating solidarity of care in the pandemic era

The poet guides us to the hazy memory of his childhood. As you follow his lead, you can sneak a peek into the origin of Moon’s poems. He confides how "the low humming of his sister" he heard as he fell asleep on her back when he was around three ("The First Memory") drew him to the world of poetry. He also reminisces about a childhood memory of his father carrying clumps of grass, revealing compassion and respect for his elderly father.

This collection of poems, which intactly reflects his childhood experiences of growing up with nature, often features flowers and birds. Assimilation with nature reaches its pinnacle though the poet’s imaginative exploration of “being a plant” and “being a bird”. He reminds us that everything in our world is interconnected, showing us the world of empathy and solidarity. In a modest life where various living entities coexist as part of nature, the poet feels “increasing joy” (“Do You Know About Increasing Joy? ”) “Like a little bird expanding its world in the air.”

The ecologically imaginative poems of Moon Taejun offer insight into the potential for sustainable living in the pandemic era. In particular, the title poem “Morning Thinks” features “morning” as the subject that thinks and speaks. It checks “where there’s any ship that didn’t comeback from far out at sea” and thinks about “a man with a shovel over his shoulders setting out to the dim farming road,” and self-reflects on how “he might not have listened to all the silence of the night and its stories.” If you've read his lyric poems before, you would probably find this poem with the morning as the main agent, instead of “I”, strange. Such narrative that lends a lively voice to a non-human, non-living entity sends us the message that we are only a part of nature, in vibrant and positive language.

Maintaining consistent poetic perspective throughout his 28-year career and also having undergone poetic developments, Moon has recently received both the Mokwol Literary Award and Jeong Jiyong Literary Award, solidifying his position as a prominent figure in poetry circles. Although it’s safe to say that he "embodies lyric poetry,” the poet never loses humility and “writes poems in black ink on a white piece of paper, looking down on it every day” (“Seolbaek ”). His poems, which always “gaze toward the bright” ("Gammun Nursing Home "), even amidst life’s fleeting shadows, will beautifully shed light on the world’s darkness like “a small candle/ lit over a page/ on a long writing night” (“New Spring ”).

Changbi Publishers, Inc.., "The Morning Thinks", https://www.changbi.com/BookDetail?bookid=3760. accessed 23 April 2024.