Cracking the Shell: Three Korean Ecopoets Seungho Choi, Chiha Kim, Hyonjong Chong

by et al Sung-Ho Ch'oe

This poetry anthology contains ninety poems by three prominent Korean ecopoets who write about the endangered environment and deplore its impact on nature and mankind. Seungho Choi¡¦s poetry is filled with explicit descriptions and pessimism that condemn the capitalist society and man¡¦s selfish desires, which, he believes, can ultimately ruin the ecosystem and mankind. Chiha Kim¡¦s somewhat-cynical poetry encourages the fulfillment of each creature¡¦s life through harmonious living among all living things. Hyonjong Chong¡¦s poetry, with the earth goddess Gaia in mind, writes about the bliss that could be found in living amicably with the ecosystem.

108 pages, Paperback

First published November 30, 2005

Reviews

[Anne · Rating 5 out of 5]

I loved this short collection of poetry! I resonated with more of the poems than I thought I would, particularly the poems of Chiha Kim (김지하). All of these poems felt as though they were brimming with passion and emotion. I loved the ineffable connections between people and the rest of the earth's beings and processes that were evoked in these poems. They really resonated with me. I look forward to studying them further.