Kim Sowol (1902–1934) was a Korean language poet famous for his contributions to early modern poetry.
1. Life
Kim Sowol was born Kim Jeong-sik on September 7, 1902 in Kwaksan, North Pyongan Province, and died on December 24, 1934. Shortly after he was born his father became insane. This fact must have affected the poet's early life and eventually led to his own premature death. His grandfather taught him classical Chinese and entered him in the famed Osan Middle School (also the alma mater of Baek Seok and Kim Eok) at the age of fifteen. There he became a pupil of Kim Eok, who remained his mentor for the rest of his life.
In 1923, Kim went to Japan, but he soon returned to Seoul, where he stayed for the next two years attempting to build a career in literature. However, he then returned to his native region, to the town of Namsai, where he worked as the manager of the local office of the Dong-a Ilbo newspaper. Though his poems continued to appear there, their quality deteriorated and Kim's life descended to habitual drinking and a reported suicide in 1934. In 2007, he was listed by the Korean Poets' Association among the ten most important modern Korean poets.
2. Writing
Throughout his life Kim wrote his poignant poetry in a style reminiscent of traditional Korean folk songs. The most prized example of this style was "Jindallaekkot" (진달래꽃Azaleas), the titular poem of his sole collection of poetry.
Kim wrote most of the poems contained in Azaleas (1925), the only collection of poetry published in his lifetime, while he was still a teenager. After graduating from Paejae High School, he taught for a while in his hometown and then went to Japan to study at a college of commerce. While there, he published several poems in Kaebyok (개벽) and other literary journals. Poems by him continued to appear after his return in such journals as Yeongdae (영대) until his sudden death.
His teacher Kim Eok published a volume of Sowol's selected poems in 1935. These included his memoir and a critical essay, in which he points out that the poet's true genius lay in composing lines in the rhythm of Korean folk song, thereby making his poems touch directly the hearts of Koreans. The magical charm of Sowol's lines can barely be recaptured fully in English translation, since the spirit of his poetry is conveyed in part through the sound of Korean folk tunes, which imposes an additional challenge in the translation of his work.
