Flower by Kim Chun Soo

This is a poem called Flower by a famous Korean poet named Kim Chun Soo, who has won many notable awards.

In Korean:

꽃

내가 그의 이름을 불러 주기 전에는
그는 다만
하나의 몸짓에 지나지 않았다.

내가 그의 이름을 불러 주었을 때
그는 나에게로 와서
꽃이 되었다.

내가 그의 이름을 불러 준 것처럼
나의 이 빛깔과 향기에 알맞은
누가 나의 이름을 불러 다오.
그에게로 가서 나도
그의 꽃이 되고 싶다.

우리들은 모두
무엇이 되고싶다.
너는 나에게 나는 너에게
잊혀지지 않는 하나의 눈짓이 되고 싶다.

My rough English translation:

Flower

Before I had spoken her name,
She was nothing but a gesture.

When I spoke her name,
She came to me and became a flower.

Just like I spoke her name,
Who will speak mine,
Which fits with my color and scent.
I, too, want to go to her
And become her flower.

We all desire becoming something.
You to me, I to you,
Yearn to become an unforgettable glance.



I found this poem very interesting because it blended together aspects of one's identity and the meanings of one person to another. In the first two stanzas, the author is describing how when he called a person's name, she became something valuable and beautiful. I think in this context, what he means by "calling her name" is not referring to saying her name but showing her what her best qualities are. This interpretation is further reinforced by the next stanza in which the speaker asks for someone to call his name, which fits his scent and color. I think what he is asking for is for someone to recognize his appealing qualities so that he can understand what they are and bloom into a flower as well. The last stanza is one I find very beautiful because the phrase "We all desire becoming something" is so powerful and it is one that many people can relate to. Also the last line where the author says that they want to be unforgettable even in quick glances is simple but also relatable. One thing that I feel is up to interpretation is whether this is depicting a sort of one-sided love. If you have a different perspective on this poem, please let me know in the comments!

I think that we has students in the US sometimes forget that although there are many cultures both inside and outside the country that are different, the people in those communities come to the same conclusions about emotions, especially love. I picked this poem because I think it's a great representation of how people who might write or speak in a different language still feel the same way about yearning and companionship.