Midang
Encyclopedia
Seo Jeong-ju was a Korean poet
and university
professor
who wrote under the pen name Midang (lit. "not yet fully grown"). He is widely considered the best poet in twentieth-century Korean literature
. He was nominated five times for Nobel Prize
in literature
.
He published 15 books of poetry consisting of around 1,000 poems.
After his death, South Korean Government officially presented Gold order.
, Jeollabuk-do
, and received his primary education in the village Seodang
until 1924. He had heard many traditional stories
and stories of ancient times from his grandmother as he grew up. The stories from his grandmother, his primary education and his experiences of youth influenced his literatrary style. He went to Jung-Ang Buddhism College, but he dropped out of school in 1936 involved in demonstration. In 1936, his poem, Byuk (Wall), was published in the Dong-Ah Ilbo newspaper. However, he become a pro-Japanese activist
, and wrote various poems about praise for Japanese Imperialism in the late Japanese colonial period.
After the independence of Korea, He worked as a professor of literature at Dongguk University
and other universities from 1959 to 1979. Since his wife's death in October 2000, he barely ate or drank anything besides beer. He died on December 24, 2000.
for the newspaper Mail Ilbo from 1942 to 1944 under the Japanese penname, "Datsusiro Sijuo" (達城靜雄).
His influence on Korean poetry stems in part from the anthology The Early Lyrics 1941-1960. His later poetic style was Oriental and nationalistic, discussing self-reflection and redemption in Buddhism
. His works have been translated into a number of languages, including English, French, Spanish, and German. According to translator Brother Anthony, he is the founding father of modern Korean poetry.
In 1997, his poems were finalized the course of translation in Spain
and France
thanks to donation of Daesan Culture Foundation.
Poet
A poet is a person who writes poetry. A poet's work can be literal, meaning that his work is derived from a specific event, or metaphorical, meaning that his work can take on many meanings and forms. Poets have existed since antiquity, in nearly all languages, and have produced works that vary...
and university
University
A university is an institution of higher education and research, which grants academic degrees in a variety of subjects. A university is an organisation that provides both undergraduate education and postgraduate education...
professor
Professor
A professor is a scholarly teacher; the precise meaning of the term varies by country. Literally, professor derives from Latin as a "person who professes" being usually an expert in arts or sciences; a teacher of high rank...
who wrote under the pen name Midang (lit. "not yet fully grown"). He is widely considered the best poet in twentieth-century Korean literature
Korean literature
Korean literature is the body of literature produced in Korea or by Korean writers. For much of its 3,000 years of literature history, it was written both in Hanja and in Korean, first using the transcription systems idu and gugyeol, and finally using the Korean script Hangul. It is commonly...
. He was nominated five times for Nobel Prize
Nobel Prize
The Nobel Prizes are annual international awards bestowed by Scandinavian committees in recognition of cultural and scientific advances. The will of the Swedish chemist Alfred Nobel, the inventor of dynamite, established the prizes in 1895...
in literature
Literature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
.
He published 15 books of poetry consisting of around 1,000 poems.
After his death, South Korean Government officially presented Gold order.
Biography
Seo Jeong-ju was born in Gochang CountyGochang County
Gochang County is a county in North Jeolla Province, South Korea. It is a rural area, and is home to only one institution of higher education: Gochang Polytechnic College.Famous people from Gochang include the 20th-century poet Midang....
, Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do
Jeollabuk-do is a province in the southwest of South Korea. The province was formed in 1896 from the northern half of the former Jeolla province, and remained a province of Korea until the country's division in 1945, then became part of South Korea...
, and received his primary education in the village Seodang
Seodang
Seodang were private village schools providing elementary education during the Goryeo and Joseon dynasties of Korea.-Background:They were primarily occupied with providing initial training in the Chinese classics to boys of 7-16 years of age, but often served students into their twenties. Not...
until 1924. He had heard many traditional stories
Narrative
A narrative is a constructive format that describes a sequence of non-fictional or fictional events. The word derives from the Latin verb narrare, "to recount", and is related to the adjective gnarus, "knowing" or "skilled"...
and stories of ancient times from his grandmother as he grew up. The stories from his grandmother, his primary education and his experiences of youth influenced his literatrary style. He went to Jung-Ang Buddhism College, but he dropped out of school in 1936 involved in demonstration. In 1936, his poem, Byuk (Wall), was published in the Dong-Ah Ilbo newspaper. However, he become a pro-Japanese activist
Chinilpa
Chinilpa is a Korean word that denotes Koreans who collaborated with the Japanese government during its reign over Korea , or shortly before...
, and wrote various poems about praise for Japanese Imperialism in the late Japanese colonial period.
After the independence of Korea, He worked as a professor of literature at Dongguk University
Dongguk University
Dongguk University is a private, coeducational university in South Korea. It operates campuses in Seoul, in Gyeongju City, North Gyeongsang province and in Los Angeles, United States...
and other universities from 1959 to 1979. Since his wife's death in October 2000, he barely ate or drank anything besides beer. He died on December 24, 2000.
Literary works
Seo Jeong-ju's early works were modernistic and also surrealistic, influenced mostly by foreign literature. His first collection of poems, Haw-Sa Jip (Flower snake), was published in 1941. The book explores humanity's feelings of guilt and folklore. His poem Jahwasang (Portrait) describes a young poet whose desire to learn was interrupted by the Imperial Japan in 1910. However, Midang wrote Japanophilic literatureLiterature
Literature is the art of written works, and is not bound to published sources...
for the newspaper Mail Ilbo from 1942 to 1944 under the Japanese penname, "Datsusiro Sijuo" (達城靜雄).
His influence on Korean poetry stems in part from the anthology The Early Lyrics 1941-1960. His later poetic style was Oriental and nationalistic, discussing self-reflection and redemption in Buddhism
Buddhism
Buddhism is a religion and philosophy encompassing a variety of traditions, beliefs and practices, largely based on teachings attributed to Siddhartha Gautama, commonly known as the Buddha . The Buddha lived and taught in the northeastern Indian subcontinent some time between the 6th and 4th...
. His works have been translated into a number of languages, including English, French, Spanish, and German. According to translator Brother Anthony, he is the founding father of modern Korean poetry.
In 1997, his poems were finalized the course of translation in Spain
Spain
Spain , officially the Kingdom of Spain languages]] under the European Charter for Regional or Minority Languages. In each of these, Spain's official name is as follows:;;;;;;), is a country and member state of the European Union located in southwestern Europe on the Iberian Peninsula...
and France
France
The French Republic , The French Republic , The French Republic , (commonly known as France , is a unitary semi-presidential republic in Western Europe with several overseas territories and islands located on other continents and in the Indian, Pacific, and Atlantic oceans. Metropolitan France...
thanks to donation of Daesan Culture Foundation.
Works translated into English
- Early Lyrics 1941-1960, The Poems by SO Chong-Ju (Midang) (bilingual) Translated and Introduced by Brother Anthony of Taizé. 1998. (all the translations in this book are viewable at http://www.sogang.ac.kr/~anthony/Sojngju.htm.)
- Poems of a Wanderer by Midang So Chong-Ju, Chongju So, Kevin O'Rourke (Translator), Chong-Ju So. 1995.
- The Early Lyrics of So Chong Ju by Midang, Anthony of Taize (Translator). 1993.
See also
- List of Korea-related topics
- Korean poetryKorean poetryKorean poetry is poetry performed or written in the Korean language or by Korean people. Traditional Korean poetry is often sung in performance. Until the 20th century, much of Korean poetry was written in Hanja and later Hangul.- History :...
- Korean literatureKorean literatureKorean literature is the body of literature produced in Korea or by Korean writers. For much of its 3,000 years of literature history, it was written both in Hanja and in Korean, first using the transcription systems idu and gugyeol, and finally using the Korean script Hangul. It is commonly...
- List of Korean language poets
External links
- Facebook Page Image Gallery, Poetry, and Popular Contemporary Mentions
- http://user.chollian.net/~bioman/ilban/guker/guksa/hyun/jakga/seojungju.htm
- http://www.seojungju.com/
- http://dir.naver.com/People/Writer/Seojeongju/