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'A Departing Ship'

Posted August. 11, 2018 07:16,   

Updated August. 11, 2018 07:16

한국어

Park Yong-cheol had never published a collection of his own poems before his death. He reportedly studied overseas and married, but he was never employed and focused on making money for living. His only goal was to engage in literature work, and would publish literary magazines and collections of poems for other poets and writers. He did not earn any money, but donated his own money to support literary work of others. His family must have endured poor living, but thanks to him, we have inherited quality literary magazines and collections of poems from him.

Reading his profile, you will find Park to be a highly gracious and elegant soul. If there were spiritual noblemen in the modern world, he would be definitely one of them. When we consider his literary legacy, we regret that he died rather prematurely. He died of tuberculosis at 34 in 1938, and if he had survived longer, he would have published his own collection of poems and written more great poems.

Park’s signature poem "A Departing Ship" remains as beautiful today as it was. People who will find this poem most friendly would be younger generations. People at young ages, who are considered "more beautiful than flowers," are living a period of time when they struggle more than any other times in their lives. Aged people say that they would be happy only if they regain youth, but young people find their life very challenging because all they possess is youth. This was true during the difficult time when Park was still living, and remains true today. It is hoped that a beautiful era ushers in someday, and thus people at young ages will not feel as if it is their own story when reading this poem.