Poet Park Joon Reinterprets 68 Poems, Recalling Childhood Memories

Poet Park Joon's latest prose collection, "Regardless of Joy or Sorrow," offers a unique literary experience by pairing 68 poems with his personal essays. The book, released on March 25, delves into the nuances of poetic interpretation, with Park emphasizing his desire to demonstrate the vast possibilities of how readers can engage with and even "misread" poetry.

"I wanted to show that interpretations can be 'distant' and that poems can be misread," Park stated at a press conference in Seoul on March 26. This approach moves away from claiming a singular, definitive understanding of a poem.

The collection spans a wide historical range, featuring works from poet Kim Myung-soon (1896-1951) to Kim Nam-ju (31), arranged chronologically by the poets' birth years. Park selected poems that convey "productive messages for the present and future," aiming to connect with contemporary readers.

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I wanted to show that interpretations can be 'distant' and that poems can be misread.

He likens his role in the poetry scene to a signpost, guiding readers into a forest of diverse poetic voices. "If the poetry scene is a forest, whether I want it or not, I feel like I've become a tree with a sign saying 'This is the entrance.' 'Inside, there are trees with very different shapes from mine. Please come in.' I felt like a tree, breaking off branches one by one to include them," Park explained.

The publication also holds significance for its meticulous approach to copyright. In an era where poetry anthologies have become scarce due to copyright complexities, Park and his publisher, Nanda, obtained explicit permission from poets, publishers, and the families of deceased poets. This effort ensures the poems are presented with proper attribution, listing both original and recent publication sources.

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If the poetry scene is a forest, whether I want it or not, I feel like I've become a tree with a sign saying 'This is the entrance.' 'Inside, there are trees with very different shapes from mine. Please come in.' I felt like a tree, breaking off branches one by one to include them.