Kim Youngtae


Kim Youngtae was a South Korean poet. After his debut in 1959, he continuously wrote modernist poetry that expressed diverse artistic experiences through the use of sensual language.

Life

Kim was born in 1936 in Seoul, South Korea. He majored in Western painting in college. As an artist that began with literature and soon expanded in multiple directions to work in dance, art, theatre, and music, he was an incredibly prolific writer that left around 60 works related to art. In 2005, he was diagnosed with renal cancer and died in 2007.

Poet

Since his student days, Kim dreamed of being a poet and wrote poetry. Kim himself also considered his main profession to be that of a poet. In 1959, on the recommendation of poet Park Nam-su, he made his debut in the literary magazine Sasanggye with the poem “Siryeonui sagwanamu” and three other poems.  Kim Youngtae, along with poets Lee Seunghoon and Lee Su-ik, was considered part of the “Contemporary Poetry” coterie. Poets affiliated with avant-gardism and modernism participated in this “Contemporary Poetry” coterie, and their poetry was generally characterized by modern people's exploration of interiority, experimental language, and pursuit of fantasy. Kim Youngtae's poetry has been reviewed as an exploration of love's ambivalence through the relationship between the self and the Other. His poetry has also frequently inspired other works of art. For instance, he has written over 30 works on dance that have used his poetry as their foundation. His poem, “Meolli inneun mudeom”, was written in memorial of Kim Soo-young, a South Korean poet that greatly influenced Kim Youngtae in his youth, and was later made into a dance performance and play.

Dance critic

When Kim was a middle school student, he saw a photobook on ballet and became enchanted with dance. Beginning in 1969, he began officially writing dance criticism. At the time, dance criticism generally existed only as translations of foreign writings, and Kim Youngtae's dance criticisms received highly favorable reviews because he was one of the first people in Korea to personally attend performances and write extensively on them. He has contributed to the popularization of contemporary dance genres and has been noted as an “on-site dance critic” for his impressionist criticism rendered through detailed descriptions and poetic writing style. He watched performances and wrote reviews for over thirty years, to the extent that the Grand Theatre at the Daehangno Art and Culture Center, where he was a frequent patron, left seat ga-123 empty for him as a permanently designated seat. After he passed away, the theatre also held commemorative performances for him every season.

Artist

In line with his college major, Kim frequently held private exhibitions of his own drawings, which centered around the subjects of dance and music. Beginning in 1977, he also began drawing caricatures of poets for the covers of Moonji Publisher's line of poetry books. His drawings are characterized by rough and coarse lines that seem on the verge of crumbling. His personal typeface—chogaenurinche — is also similar to his drawing style, distinguished by how it seems to easily flow with unique arches.

Writing

With Kim's unique aesthetic sense and sensual language, his poetry tends to be somewhat abstruse and difficult. His poetry has been reviewed as demonstrating aspects of aestheticism with its arrangement of exotic subject matters and erotic poetic diction to combine heterogeneous poetic language in an unfamiliar way.

Early writing

In his earlier writings, Kim often described sensual impressions of objects under examination in an unfamiliar way. Although the subject was described in an objective manner, he would simultaneously use strange words and diction in order to construct a fantasy-like atmosphere. By simultaneously representing two objects that seemingly had no relation to each other whatsoever, readers are thus able to imagine a different world.

Later writing

In his later writings, the sensuous impressions of objects still appear, but his own subjective voice intervenes in these descriptions, revealing Kim's own introspection regarding himself and his life. The distance between the object and the self disappears, and the object is felt to provide some sort of consolation to the self. With his final poetry collection released in 2005, Nugunga danyeogatdeusi, Kim Youngtae's poetry becomes “a conversation with the self.” The narrator observes the object, experiencing it in a sensuous manner until he finally inserts himself and completes the landscape. While feeling a sense of impotence towards the self and the life that one has lived, through the sheer existence of minor things and seeing them in a new light, life is illuminated with a new meaning and undergoes an active transformation.

Poeticization of experiences with art

Kim Youngtae constructs his poetic world by giving language to diverse forms of art. He has been noted for perceiving and expressing art in and of itself in his works, especially for using his personal artistic experiences as the foundation for his works—an unusual characteristic that is difficult to find in other Korean poetry. For instance, his poem “Balladeu” is a linguistic rendering of Frédéric Chopin's piano compositions. Chopin's music is constructed as a preceding text to poetry, so that the sound of music is rendered into metaphors such as “water drops falling at the bottom of the spine” and “a fleshy piece of trembling zephyrs.” Sounds, the body's movements, and visual images are linked to the other senses and manifested through language—a common writing technique that threads Kim Youngtae's poetry.

Works

Complete poetry collections

《물거품을 마시면서 아껴가면서》, 천년의 시작, 2005 / Mulgeopumeul masimyeonseo akkyeogamyeonseo, Poem sijak, 2005.

Poetry collections

《유태인이 사는 마을의 겨울》, 중앙문화사, 1965 / Yutaeini saneun maeurui gyeoul, Jungang munhwasa, 1965.
《바람이 센 날의 인상》, 현대시학사, 1970. / Barami sen narui insang, Hyeondaesihaksa, 1970.
《초개수첩》, 현대문학사, 1975. / Chogaesucheop, Hyundae Munhak, 1975.
《객초》, 문예비평사, 1978. / Gaekcho, Moonye, 1978.
《여울목 비오리》, 문학과 지성사, 1981. / Yeoulmok biori, Moonji, 1981.
《결혼식과 장례식》, 문학과 지성사, 1986. / Gyeolhonsikgwa jangnyesik, Moonji, 1986.
《매혹》, 청하, 1989. / Maehok, Cheongha, 1989.
《느리고 무겁게 그리고 우울하게》, 민음사, 1988. / Neurigo mugeopge geurigo uulhage, Minumsa, 1989.
《고래는 명상가》, 민음사, 1993. / Goraeneun myeongsangga, Minumsa, 1993.
《남몰래 흐르는 눈물》, 문학과 지성사, 1995. / Nammollae heureuneun nunmul, Moonji, 1995.
《그늘 반근》, 문학과 지성사, 2000. / Geuneul bangeun, Moonji, 2000.
《누군가 다녀갔듯이》, 문학과 지성사, 2005. / Nugunga danyeogatdeusi, Moonji, 2005.

Poetry anthologies

《북호텔》, 민음사, 1979. / Bukotel, Minumsa, 1979.
《어름사니의 보행》, 지식산업사, 1984. / Eoreumsaniui bohaeng, Jisik, 1984.
《가을, 계면조 무게》, 미래사, 1991. / Gaeul, gyemyeonjo muge, Milaesa, 1991.
《과꽃》, 지만지, 2012. / Gwakkot, Jimanji, 2012.

Co-publications

《평균율》, 창우사, 1968. / Pyeonggyunyul, Changusa, 1968.
《평균율 2》, 현대문학사, 1972. / Pyeonggyunyul 2, Hyundae Munhak, 1972.
〈피문어〉 외 2편, 《1987년 편지》, 청하, 1987. / “Pimuneo” and Two Other Poems in 1987nyeon pyeonji, Cheongha, 1987.
〈가슴에 달린 서랍〉 외 4편, 《현대시 94》, 문학세계사, 1994. / “Gaseume dallin seorap” and Four Other Poems in Hyeondaesi 94, Munhak Segyesa, 1994.

Essays on poetry

《변주와 상상력》, 고려원, 1984. / Byeonjuwa sangsangnyeok, Goryeowon, 1984.
《장판지 위에 사이다 두병》, 책세상, 2002. / Jangpanji wie saida dubyeong, Chaek Sesang, 2002.

Collected prose

《지구위에 조그마한 방》, 지식산업사, 1977. / Jiguwie jogeumahan bang, Jisik, 1977.
《눈썹을 그리는 광대》, 문장사, 1977. / Nunsseobeul geurineun gwangdae, Munjangsa, 1977.
《간주곡》, 문예비평사, 1979. / Ganjugok, Moonye, 1979.
《물 위에 피아노》, 고려원, 1980. / Mul wie piano, Goryeowon, 1980.
《질기고 푸른 빵》, 소설문학사, 1981. / Jilgigo pureun ppang, Soseol, 1981.
《백색 신부들에게》, 자유문학사, 1987. / Baeksaek sinbudeurege, Jayu, 1987.
《예술가의 삶》, 혜화당, 1993. / Yesulgaui sam, Hyehwadang, 1993.
《핀지콘티니가의 정원》, 월간오디오사출판부, 1993. / Pinjikontinigaui jeongwon, Wolgan Audio, 1993.
《징검다리》, 혜화당, 2002. / Jinggeomdari, Hyehwadang, 2002.
《초개일기》, 눈빛, 2017. / Chogaeilgi, Noonbit, 2017.

Critical essays on dance

《갈색 몸매들, 아름다운 우산들》, 지문사, 1985. / Galsaek mommaedeul, areumdaun usandeul, Jimunsa, 1985.
《막간》, 청하, 1987. / Makgan, Cheongha, 1987.
《저녁의 코펠리아》, 고려원, 1988. / Jeonyeogui kopellia, Goryeowon, 1988.
《연두색 신의 가구들》, 시와 시학사, 1991. / Yeondusaek sinui gagudeul, Siwa sihaksa, 1991.
《눈의 나라 사탕비누들》, 눈빛, 1993. / Nunui nara satangbinudeul, Noonbit, 1993.
《멀리서 노래하듯》, 눈빛, 1995. / Meolliseo noraehadeut, Noonbit, 1995.
《사라지는 사원 위에 달이 내리고》, 눈빛, 1997.  / Sarajineun sawon wie dari naerigo, Noonbit, 1997.
《남천도 조금》, 눈빛, 1999. / Namcheondo jogeum, Noonbit, 1999.
《춤으로 풍경을 만든다면》, 서울문학포럼, 2000. / Chumeuro punggyeongeul mandeundamyeon, Seoul Munhak Forum, 2000.
《사물을 넘어 마음으로》 눈빛, 2001. / Samureul neomeo maeumeuro, Noonbit, 2001.
《아무것도 아니지만 우리는 ‘있다’》, 눈빛, 2002. / Amugeotdo anijiman urineun titdat, Noonbit, 2002.
《당신의 발끝으로》, 눈빛, 2003. / Dangsinui balkkeuteuro, Noonbit, 2003.
《살아있는 춤 눈으로 쓴 시》, 눈빛, 2004. / Sarainneun chum nuneuro sseun si, Noonbit, 2004.
《저 멀리 크리스탈》, 눈빛, 2006. / Jeo meolli keuriseutal, Noonbit, 2006.
《풍경을 춤출 수 있을까》, 눈빛, 1996. / Punggyeongeul chumchul su isseulkka , Noonbit, 1996.
《풍경을 춤출 수 있을까》, 눈빛, 2005. / Punggyeongeul chumchul su isseulkka , Noonbit, 2005.

Art books

《잠시 머물렀던 환영들》, 열화당, 1980. / Jamsi meomulleotdeon hwanyeongdeul, Yeolhwadang, 1980.
《섬 사이에 섬》, 현암사, 1982. / Seom saie seom, Hyeonamsa, 1982.
《인간의 집》, 보리수, 1985. / Inganui jip, Borisu, 1985. 
《연습곡 98번》, 융성출판, 1987. / Yeonseupgok 98beon, Yungseong chulpan, 1987.
《왕래》, 디자인사, 1989. / Wangnae, Design, 1989.
《편도 나무들》, 한마음사, 1991. / Pyeondo namudeul, Hanmaeumsa, 1991.
《선의 나그네》, 말과글, 1992. / Seonui nageune, Malgwageul, 1992.
《육도 간격의 산책》, 재원, 1997. / Yukdo gangyeogui sanchaek, Jaewon, 1997.
《시인의 초상》, 지혜네, 1998. / Siinui chosang, Jihyene, 1998.

Music criticism

《음의 풍경화가들》, 서적포, 1991. / Eumui punggyeonghwagadeul, Seojeokpo, 1991.
《音, 꿈의 전람》, 돋을새김, 2004. / Eum, kkumui jeollam, Doduls, 2004.

Awards