125Q91. Expression of Wish and Hope -고 싶다; “너에게 To You” by 정호승
As a traveler, you need to be able to express what you want in various situations. In Korean, you can simply add -고 싶다 to…
Tag: K-Poetry
124Q89. Basic Conjugations with -요; Abstract Nouns with -ㅁ; 슬픔이 기쁨에게 (To Joy, from Sorrow) by 정호승 (1979); Genie, Make a Wish (2025)
A. Top Priority Conjugation: Koreans use the -요 ending for verbs and adjectives in polite conversations. Consequently, it will be your highest priority to master…
95Q23. How to Read between the Lines in Korean Poems; Korean Color Connotation - Blue; “낙엽” (Fallen Leaves) by 홍수희
In the following poem entitled “Fallen Leaves 낙엽,” the poet 홍수희 doesn’t say one word about fallen leaves. Instead, she talks about the blue sky…
82. The Importance of Repeated Words in Korean; 가곡 Gagok, or Korean Art Song; 고향 (Hometown) Interpreted by 조수미
Long before BTS and Blackpink, ordinary Koreans sang songs called “가곡 (歌曲),” which can be best translated as either “gagok” or “Korean Art Song” in…
81. The Importance of Rhyme in K-pop; Meter in 시조 Sijo, Korean Classical Poetry; Indirect Quote with -다고; Ditto (2022) by NewJeans
Rhyme is a concept reserved for poetry in European languages, generally speaking. It is not often used in Korean poetry, mainly due to the agglutinative…
54. How to Say “Must/Have to” in Korean ~아/어야 한다; Rule of Vowel Harmony (모음조화); Korean Modernist Poem 목마와 숙녀 (A Wooden Horse and a Lady) by 박인환
Korea is one of the few countries on earth that did not experience colonization by the West and did not colonize other countries. Of course,…
48. When a Korean Man Recites a Poem; K-Poetry in K-Drama; 풀잎에도 상처가 있다(Grass Leaves Have Wounds, Too) by 정호승 in 월수금화목토 (Love in Contract, 2022)
Koreans take poems seriously. In fact, it would not be too much of an exaggeration to say that the entire Korean aristocracy during 500 years…
33. Invitation to Winter Ocean; Two Different “When” - 때 vs. 언제; 겨울 바다 (Winter Ocean) by 이해인
English, among other languagues, uses the same word “When” for two different purposes, namely, i) when you ask questions, and ii) when you say a…
31. How Humble Is Your Mother Tongue? - "가을의 기도 (Fall Prayer)" by 김현승
가을에는 기도하게 하소서 낙엽들이 지는 때를 기다려 내게 주신 겸허한 모국어로 나를 채우소서 가을에는 사랑하게 하소서 오직 한 사람을 택하게 하소서 가장 아름다운 열매를 위하여…
5. Flower Path or Thorny Path? - 꽃길 vs. 가시밭길
꽃길 (꽃 = Flower, 길 = Road/Path) has about the same metaphoric meaning as in English – Flower or Flowery Path. It speaks of a…
