Sep 07, 2020
Kim Sowol’s 118th Birthday
This Doodle’s Key Themes
Today’s Doodle, illustrated by guest artist Eusong Lee, honors the 118th birthday of Korean poet Kim Sowol, whose beloved 1922 lyric poem “The Azaleas” (“Chindallae kkot”) is widely considered a masterpiece of the form. Celebrated for his contributions to early modern Korean poetry, Sowol composed many poems in the familiar cadence of traditional Korean folk music, which added to the broad popularity of his work.
Kim Sowol was born Kim Jeong-sik on this day in 1902 in present-day North Korea’s North Pyongan Province. As a teenager, Jeong-sik attended the esteemed Osan Middle School, where he became a lifelong protégé of the teacher and poet Kim Eok. In 1920, Jeong-sik published his first poems in a literary magazine, after which he assumed the pen-name Sowol, which translates into “White Moon.”
While still a high school student in 1922, Sowol published his famous work “The Azaleas.” This melancholic poem of love and loss inspired the colorful burst of Azalea flowers that surrounds his portrait in today’s Doodle artwork.
He went on to compose over 150 literary works and in 1925 published his sole collection of poems, also named “The Azaleas.” Sowol’s lifetime of heartfelt compositions cemented his legacy as one of Korea’s most treasured poets, and to this day many Koreans can recite his poems by heart. The annual Sowol Poetry Prize, established in 1987 in Kim Sowol’s honor, is considered one of the most prestigious awards in Korean poetry.
Happy birthday, Kim Sowol!
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