ART TODAY_Poet_02

The poem evokes resonance with existence

“Flower” is one of the most beloved and widely known poems in Korea. It’s often included in textbooks and is familiar to most Koreans. 

About Choonsoo Kim

Poet Choonsoo Kim told influenced by Rainer Maria Rilke, an Austrian poet. Because he wrote articles about Rilke as a tribute, indicating that his own poetry is rooted in existentialism. Kim gained recognition as a Symbolic Korean existentialist through these articles. 

Some people interpret this poem as being related to Buddhist teachings on dependent origination. It reflects Buddha’s philosophical idea ‘The law of causality’. According to this idea, all beings exist inherently. The flower acquires its names and identities through human perception and cognition.

How it interpreted

The poem “Flower,” penned two years after the onset of the Korean War, resonates with a deep sense of loss and commemoration. It interpreted as a contemplation of the countless unnamed lives lost in conflict, symbolized by the flower. Their significance emerges only through naming, highlighting the profound human toll of war and the imperative of acknowledging individual lives amid collective tragedy.

I hope you enjoy this poem and please share your impression of this on comment 🙂

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