Song Chanho

Song Chanho (Hangul 송찬호; born 1959) is a South Korean poet.
Life.
Song Chanho was born in Boeun, South Korea in 1959. He studied German language and literature at Kyungpook National University. He began his literary career in 1987 when several of his poems including “"Geumhogang"” (금호강 Geumho River) were published in the journal "Literature of Our Age". He won the 13th Dongsuh Literary Award and 19th Kim Su-Young Literary Award in 2000, the 8th Midang Literary Award in 2008, the 17th Daesan Literary Award in 2009, and the 3rd Yi Sang Poetry Award in 2010.
Writing.
Song Chanho writes experimental lyric poetry. His poems create a tension between ontological and aesthetic impulses. His first poetry collection "Heulgeun sagakhyeongui gieogeul gatgoitda" (흙은 사각형의 기억을 갖고 있다 The Soil Has the Memory of a Square) (1989) portrays the primal pain of death through the image of a square that has no exit. His second poetry collection "Sipnyeon donganui bin uija" (10년 동안의 빈 의자 The Chair That Remained Empty for Ten Years) (1994) deals with recovering linguistic purity and expanding the scope of language and the world. "Bulgeun nun, dongbaek" (붉은 눈, 동백 Red Eyes, Camellia) (2000) uses plants as a primary motif, while "The Night of the Cat's Return" (고양이가 돌아오는 저녁) (2009) criticizes civilization and depicts mythical naturalism with fantastical motifs. Song’s fifth poetry collection "Bunhong Namaksin" (분홍 나막신 Pink Wooden Shoes) (2016) reflects on existence in more depth. Regarding this collection, literary critic Lee Jae-bok writes that “Song Chanho’s poetry has a classical elegance as the result of his deep reflection on language and existence.”
Works.
Poetry Collections.
1. 『흙은 사각형의 기억을 갖고 있다』(민음사, 1989)
"The Soil Has the Memory of a Square". Minumsa, 1989.
2. 『10년 동안의 빈 의자』(문학과지성사, 1994)
"The Chair That Remained Empty for Ten Years". Moonji, 1994.
3. 『붉은 눈, 동백』(문학과지성사, 2000)
"Red Eyes, Camellia". Moonji, 2000.
4. 『고양이가 돌아오는 저녁』(문학과지성사, 2009)
"The Night of the Cat's Return". Moonji, 2009.
5. 『분홍 나막신』(문학과지성사, 2016)
"Pink Wooden Shoes". Moonji, 2016.
6. 『쑥부쟁이밭에 놀러 가는 거위 같이』(지만지, 2016)
"Like a Goose Going to Play in the Aster Field". Zmanz, 2016.
Works in Translation.
1. The Night of the Cat's Return (English)
2. AZALEA (Journal of Korean Literature & Culture) : Volume One (English)
3. Douze poètes coréens contemporains (French)
Awards.
1. 2000: 13th Dongsuh Literary Award
2. 2000: 19th Kim Su-Young Literary Award
3. 2008: 8th Midang Literary Award
4. 2009: 17th Daesan Literary Award
5. 2010: 3rd Yi Sang Poetry Award
Further reading.
Park, Hye-gyeong. “Poetry, Words Floating in the Air.” "Literature and Society". Spring 2000 Issue.
Lee, Gyeong-ho. “Scarce ‘Rice’ at the End of the Century.” "Literature and Society". Spring 1995 Issue.
Kim, Chang-hwan. “The Spirit and Evanescence of Humanized Nature.” "Literature and Society". Summer 2009 Issue.
Shin, Beom-sun. “A Cat’s Philosophical Fairy Tale.” In "The Night of the Cat's Return". Moonji, 2009.
Kwon, Gyeong-ah. “The Elephant is Going.” "Poetry & World", Spring 2010 Issue.
Ha, Jaeyoun. “The Creation and Transformation of Mythical Imagination in Contemporary Poetry.” "Korean Literary Theory and Criticism", Summer 2014 Issue.
Lee, Jae-bok. “The Discovery of Symbols and Restoration of Beauty.” In "Pink Wooden Shoes". Moonji, 2016.