The Selected Poetry of Kim Si-seup: Classical Korean Poetry in Translation

By Richard Mayer

Born in the early years of the Joseon dynasty (1392-1910), at a time when Confucianism was displacing Buddhism as the central social, philosophical, and institutional source of power, Kim Si-seup (1435-1493) belonged to a family which had secured a hold in the Confucian-based power structure and, naturally, was given an education in Confucian philosophy and ethics with the expectation he would take a position high in the ranks of government service. A student of outstanding ability who excelled in the study of classical Chinese, Kim Si-seup had finished his formal education and entered Jungheung Temple on Samgak Mountain to continue his studies and prepare for the civil service exam, when in 1455, a man from Seoul came to the door with news that the throne of King Danjong (1441-1457), grandson of the Great Sejong (1397-1450), had just been usurped by Danjong's uncle, Saejo (1417-1468). Now known as one of the six loyal followers of Danjong expelled from the court of Saejo, Kim Si-seup became a Zen Buddhist and, like many other monks, a follower of Taoism. Now a Buddhist convert and follower of Taoism unable to take part in the ritual worship of ancestors, forced outside the world of Confucian learning, and denied the right to serve a king and his subjects, all integral parts of Confucian society, Kim Si-seup was reborn in the agony of an injustice, left the world that had made him, and set out to discover a new life amid the mysteries and wonders of nature. Thus, the vast majority of poems are set in nature and use nature as both the source and expression of meaning, with reason directing and leading the unfolding of sense. Also, in the poetry metaphors, similes, and other figures of speech are grounded in nature and are about nature as the ground of being in the life and consciousness of a rational man. However, though identified with its rational form, the poetic self often turns reason back-in upon itself, in effect freeing consciousness from the rational structures which contain it. It follows from this that irony is central to the expressive technique of the poetry. In an irony which marks the very form of the poetry itself, the speaker is often critical of himself as he reveals his weaknesses and humanity. Yet it is these weaknesses and the suffering which accompany them which motivate the consciousness behind the poetic self to detach from the self that gets attached to things in rational thought. It is also the source of the shifting perspective which marks the power and uniqueness of the poetry.

• Format: Paperback
• Language: English
• ISBN: 179273896X
• ISBN13: 9781792738968
• Release Date: December 2018
• Publisher: Independently published
• Length: 206 Pages
• Weight: 0.82 lbs.
• Dimensions: 9.0" x 0.5" x 6.0"