Draft:This Kind of Poem

This Kind of poem is a poem written by Yi-Sang(이상;李相), Actual name Kim-Hae-Kyung(김해경;金海卿) in the year 1933, July.

This is the total version of the poem "This Kind of Poem" in English.

"While working on a construction project, we dug up a large stone from the ground. Upon looking at it, I felt as though I had seen it somewhere before. The laborers carried it away and seemingly disposed of it somewhere. Following them, I found that they had left it by the dangerous roadside.

That night, there was a heavy downpour, which must have surely washed the stone clean. However, when I went to see it the next day, to my astonishment, it had disappeared without a trace. I wondered which stone could have carried it away. From this melancholic thought, I composed the following piece.

"Of you whom I loved so dearly, in my lifetime, I can never forget you. Though I know it's a love that can never be mine, I will continue to think of you alone. So, be beautiful forever."

It felt as though a certain stone was gazing at my face intently, making me want to tear up this poem."

"This Kind of Poem" is a highly ambiguous piece. The identities of the "stone" and the "main road" are not clearly revealed, making interpretation challenging. However, it is evident that the speaker holds a clear love for something, yet despite knowing that it cannot be fulfilled, he continues to think about it persistently. Many believe this reflects the gap between Yi Sang's pursuits and the reality of his situation.

There are several different opinions on trying to understand the poem. 1) Social Isolation and Loneliness: This suggests the social disconnection of Yi-Sang and its loneliness and isolation. 2) Similar with Sisyphus' Futile Effort: Another interpretation focuses on the mention of running away in the poem, comparing it to the Greek myth of Sisyphus, implying a futile hope that, no matter how much one pursues it, cannot be achieved. 한국근대문학연구 23 (2011): 321-346. 3) Recovery of Lost Identity: This view is about the poem depicts the speaker's attempt to reclaim his lost self-identity due to external factors