Choe Dooseok
Choe Dooseok (, 1956 - ) is a Korean poet. Since his debut in 1980, he has continued to write poems that combine facticity with lyricism. His poems are considered compassionate toward objects, and at the same time, equipped with keen insight into reality. He argued for narrative poetics from a realist perspective. Life. He was born in 1956 in Damyang, Jeollanam-do Province. He debuted by publishing “Gimtongjeong (김통정 Kim Tongjeong)” in "Simsang" in 1980. He was a member of a literary coterie, Owalsi, along with Kwak Jaegu, Yun Jaecheol, Na Haecheol and Ko Kwangheon. He published his review, “Siwa  rieolism (시와 리얼리즘 Poetry and Realism)” 3) in the fourth volume of "Owalsi" (오월시 May Poetry), and a long poem, “Imjingang (임진강 Imjingang River)” in the fifth volume. Over the 30 years of writing poems, he has diligently published many poetry collections including "Daekkot" (대꽃 Bamboo Flower) (1984), "Imjingang" (임진강 Imjingang River) (1986), "Seongekkot" (성에꽃 Frost on Windows) (1990), "Saramdeul saie kkochi pil ttae" (사람들 사이에 꽃이 필 때When Flowers Bloom Among People) (1997), "Kkochege gireul munneunda" (꽃에게 길을 묻는다 Ask Flowers For Direction) (2003), "Tugukkot" (투구꽃 Monkshood) (2009), "Sumsalikkot" (숨살이꽃 Flower That Breathes Life) (2018). “When Flowers Bloom Among  People” was used as lyrics of a song with the same title bysinger, Ahn Chihwan, in 2004. He also worked on several reviews such as "Rieolismui sijeongsin" (리얼리즘의 시정신 Poetic Mind of Realism) (1992) and "Siwa rieolism" (시와 리얼리즘 Poetry and Realism) (1996). He has been serving as a professor of creative writing at Hanshin University. He received the Buddhist Literary Award in 2007, and the Oh Janghwan Literary Award in 2010. Writing. Narrative and Poetry. Choe’s poetry is based on the consciousness that literature needs to reflect reality and to participate in social reform. This consciousness was expressed  in a form of narrative poem. He revealed his strong determination to combine poetry and narrative, songs and stories in the prologue poem “Noraewa iyagi (노래와 이야기 Songs and Stories)” in his first poetry collection, "Bamboo Flower" (1984). Narrative poems are realized in a form of serial poems or long poems. The title poem of "Bamboo Flower" (1984) consists of a series of poems describing the historical relation between the Donghak Rebellion in the late 19th century and the democratization movement of the 1980s. "Imjingang River" (1986) is a long poem that truthfully illustrates hardships Kim Nakjung went through as  a reunification activist, and his passion toward peaceful reunification of South and North Koreas. In the scope of narrative poems, poetic representation of historical figures is included. "Frost on Windows" (1990) contains a poem that is based on Jeon Taeil, a workers' rights activist, and Seo Hobin, a victim of the May 18 Gwangju Democratization Movement. Nature and Poetry. Since the late 1990s when the military dictatorship was over and democracy was in place, his poetry has turned from the narrative poems into various forms. In “Epilogue” in "When Flowers Bloom Among People" (1997), he said “I want to write  poems that naturally bloom like flowers.” Unlike his poems of the 1980s, he used a motif from nature such as sycamore, nut pine and waterfall; lines and verses became shorter; and his empathy with nature is more highlighted. "Ask Flowers for Direction" (2003) illustrates his ecological imagination toward Geomnyongso Pond, a Kalopanax and a young zelkova tree. "Monkshood" (2009) expresses his concerns for harmonious life between nature and human being. "Flower That Breathes Life" (2018), named after a mythical flower, shows introspection on the inherently close association between nature and life. As he says that he has aspired to living  in tune with the world, which is the basis of his poems, the realm of his poetry gets deeper as he desperately tries to communicate with living conditions he faces at any moment.