Poet's words

Part 1: I couldn't bury the living

Heterophony/ Soft Heart/ Hard/ From the Future/ Thieves/ Oysters are the Milk of the Sea/ Will Your Dog Like You Too? - To D/ The Garden of the Chinese Scholar/ Soft Heart/ Lake Keepers/ Birthday Mood/ From the Stone/ Zone/ At Night

It would be fun to go to part 2 and pick up rocks

Recording the exact time of death/ Dream story/ Gentle heart/ Tangible maturity/ Horogoru/ Fruit of love/ All things go well/ Mechanical dog/ Natural things/ Faces/ Chuseo

Neutral taste of egg white and yolk mixed together in 3 parts

Morning / Interior / Wanderer / Omelette / Soldiers / Gift Shop / Cross-hatching / Photograph / Rainwater / Statement

Part 4: Where the Child Goes and Where the Dog Comes Back

The idea that there is something more important/ Persimmon, persimmon/ Vegetable master class/ Running without moving, staying in the same place without stopping/ Green hospital/ Loaches and eels and earthworms and/ Pa/ Ra/ Wood/ Sat/ Basidiomycota/ Air & Water/ Nari Basin

Commentary | The Perfect Way to Warmly Soothe Your "Strange Mind"
Jo Yeon-jeong (literary critic)

“Can we hold on to the unknown just because we don’t know it?
Can we keep it invisible just because it is invisible?
“I want to feed you something warm.”

A poem created by combining sentences that seem unpoetic
An omelet filled with colorful stories, that strange sense of fullness.

Lim Yu-yeong's first poetry collection, "Omelette," has been published, marking a new era in Korean poetry.

Among the 6,000 poems submitted to the Munhakdongne New Writer's Award in 2020, which contained the literary aspirations of poets, a collection of poems titled "Morning" was also judged.
This entry, in which eight of the nine poems are all titled "Morning," stood out to the judges among the poems that showed various struggles to highlight each individual's individuality.
This poet, possessing extraordinary courage, submitted poems with the same title, almost indifferently simple. The poems of this poet prompted the then-judge, poet and literary critic Park Sang-soo, to ask, “What? Is this poetry? But why does it keep coming to mind?” (judge’s comment).
The 'Morning' series, which unfolds the inner self of a person facing death or someone who has already experienced death, radiates the power of an unfamiliar voice, different from existing, familiar poetry.
The more I read this applicant, the more I felt that he used “great detail and stable images without a single piece being left out” and gave me “a sense of satisfaction as if I had read a complete collection of poems” (poet and literary critic Park Sang-soo), and that he evoked the feeling that “a unique music was heard” (poet Park Yeon-jun), and he even received praise for creating “a beautiful and lonely world that flows smoothly and elegantly along the surface of life” (poet Hwang In-chan), confidently putting his name on the poetry scene that year.
This is the story of poet Lim Yu-yeong.

Lim Yu-yeong, who began her creative career in this way, diligently published new poems, fully revealing her own unique style with a unique rhythm and narrative quality.
“Recording the Exact Time of Death” and five other pieces were nominated for the 2021 Munji Literary Award with the comment that “after the poem ends, the entire poem instantly becomes poetic” (literary critic Lee Gwang-ho), and “The Lake Keepers” and five other pieces were nominated for the 2022 Munji Literary Award with the comment that they possess both “deep insight” and “sensuous foresight” (poet Kim Haeng-sook), proving that they are receiving the expectations and trust of the literary world.

"Omelette" is Im Yu-yeong's first poetry collection.
Death and birth, storytelling and polyphony, consciousness of poetry and femininity, etc. are all melted into it.
Part 1 ('I Couldn't Even Bury a Living Person') gives a hint about the origin of Im Yu-yeong's style of writing poetry, Part 2 ('It Would Be Fun to Go and Pick Up Stones') tells beautiful, lonely, and fantastic stories that seem like dreams and realities, Part 3 ('The Neutral Taste of Egg White and Yolk Mixed Together') presents the intense 'Morning' series with a new title, and unfolds scenes of repetition and awakening that seem to wake up again after death with more tension, and Part 4 ('Where is the Child Going and Where is the Dog Returning') lets us feel the unique creativity of poetry born from collaboration with artists from various fields.

*

In the after-school literature class, girls write precise sentences.
Girls read faster than their peers.
Girls know how to start and end a sentence.
Knows how to connect multiple sentences and remove unnecessary sentences.

(……)

The girls listened to their teacher read their friend's writing.
Sometimes I cry.

When it comes to death, tears, violence, sex, filth, and pain, the girls
They write that a nation that forgets its history has no future, but

One summer afternoon

The teacher put an apple on the desk
When you asked me to write about it

Girls think about death, tears, violence, sex, filth, and pain.
Figure out the perfect way.

The music starts.
_「Heterophony」 section

"Heterophony," which opens the door to a poetry collection, tells the story of "girls in an after-school literature class."
They write poems on topics their teachers ask them to write about, such as the advancement of science and technology, the desire for national unification, and the commemoration of independence fighters, but what truly holds their hearts seems to be “death, tears, violence, sex, filth, and pain.”
The poetry of girls, which “begins” like “music,” free from obligation and compulsion, resonates like “heterophony,” a type of polyphonic music that “plays the same melody slightly differently and horizontally” (commentary by literary critic Jo Yeon-jeong).

What is noteworthy here is the ‘horizontalness’ of Im Yu-yeong’s sentences.
Lim Yu-yeong's sentences generally omit special rhetoric and so-called 'poetic' rhetoric.
Plain words come together without hierarchy to create unexpected twists and turns, and the resulting harmony creates a unique emotional resonance.

There was an accident and the girl died.
On my way back that day, I heard a strange story from an old man who ran a school uniform shop.
He claimed that he had already seen signs of death in the child's back.
(……) But I didn’t immediately believe the inspiration’s words.
All dreams are nothing more than waste discharged from the brain, and the words of those who claim to interpret such dreams are nothing more than shallow tricks to deceive people.
As proof, I walked for quite a while on a bright April day and didn't sweat at all.
Anyway, I picked up a brush, wrote this story down on paper, and posted it on the wall where people could see it.
Later, someone who liked it sold it for a reasonable price.
_「Dream Story」 section

“Dream Story,” which was selected in the commentary as “the most beautiful and saddest poem in this collection,” is the story of a girl who died in an accident.
After reading the story of the dead girl, told in simple sentences, this poem feels like the dream of an old man who claims to have sensed the girl's death, or the dream of the speaker 'I' who heard the story, or the memory of 'I' who looks back on that time as if it were a past life.
The ending of all these stories, “sold for a reasonable price,” is another twist, allowing the reader to build up a multi-layered interpretation.

Poems featuring a “bear cub” born in the “southern forest” (“Dandan”), a person “whose hand was accidentally bitten by a dog while out for a night walk” (“Does Your Dog Like You Too? - To D”), a “bird without one leg” (“Birthday Mood”), and a person who came out “from a stone” (“From a Stone”) also convey a poetic elation that is ultimately erupted by plain sentences.

We can already see that the power of Im Yu-yeong's poetry was contained in the 'Morning' series of poems from 'Part 3', which was her debut work.
"Morning," which begins with a description of a "hat" "floating on the lake," leaves a strong aftertaste as it shifts the focus of "imagination" from "someone's head" to "grandmother's forehead," to the "family" who came to the lakeside "with their grandmother," and to the "sea" that "cannot be explained as not being waves."
"Omelette" begins with "The neutral taste of egg yolk mixed together" and ends with "Perfect for alcoholics", "Should I wear a wristwatch?
Poems such as “Gift Shop,” which begins with “Should I stop?” and ends with “Do I have any wrists or waist left?” and “Photograph,” which begins with “I didn’t want anything to be found out about myself” and ends with “Leave the terrible things to the adults and forget everything,” all bear the inimitable “seal” of Lim Yu-yeong.

*

The title of this collection of poems is taken from the poem "Omelette" in Part 3.
The first sentence of “Omelette,” “the neutral taste of egg white and yolk mixed together,” seems to be a metaphor for the characteristics of Im Yu-yeong’s writing style mentioned above.
If we note that Lim Yu-young's poems are made up of a combination of sentences that do not seem poetic, 'Omelette' is an object that reminds us of Lim Yu-young's poetic methodology.

Meanwhile, literary critic Jo Yeon-jeong, who wrote the commentary, interprets "Mansahyeongtong" as evoking a certain warm emotion, and gives another meaning to the title of the poetry collection, "Omelette."

They felt as if they had a heart at each of their fingertips, beating vigorously.
It was as if they were barely holding onto each other's hearts without letting them be caught, their fingers barely clasped together.
But I couldn't let go of his hand.

(……)

Could this be a reason to keep two people here?
Can we keep walking together on this cold, windy autumn night?
Can we hold on to the unknown just because we don't know it?
I feel like taking off both of their shoes.
wonderfully.
Walk barefoot along the riverbank on a cold night.
Still, I can't fully describe that feeling.
Let's set fire to the other side of the river.
At a constant speed, at a constant stride, at a constant temperature, expand.
Please move.
Spread it.
Go far, far away.

Hold hands.
Just hold on tight.

Can we keep it invisible just because it is invisible?
I want to eat something warm.
_「Everything Goes Well」 section

In her commentary, Jo Yeon-jeong says that “Mansahyeongtong” seems to depict “a regrettable moment when love is about to begin but then stops,” and also “a feeling of crossing the boundary between life and death.”
Im Yu-yeong's poems often reveal "a heart that makes one think of death," but "Mansahyeongtong" is a poem that, despite this, breaks free from the "barely clasped appearance of two people trying not to let their hearts be caught in each other's fingertips" and says, "Just hold on tight."
Jo Yeon-jeong interprets the message of this poem as that, in order to not ignore the feeling of wanting to “keep running into the night, into the mountains,” we need to “feel the warm heart of each other’s fingertips, not the cold bare feet of each other.”
The poetic speaker's wish to "feed something warm" is that even if our lives are filled with loneliness and deprivation like "a cold autumn night," if our hearts gather and mingle to share and feed each other "something warm," our lives can become full and soft like an 'omelet.'

The Munhakdongne Poet Selection, which began with the catchphrase "aiming for a younger sensibility and deeper thinking," now proudly presents its first poetry collection, "Omelette," worthy of its notable 12-year history and significance.
Lim Yu-yeong will be remembered as a new name in Korean poetry.

A Mini-Interview with Poet Lim Yu-yeong

Q1.
Hello, author. Your first poetry collection is finally out! I'd like to ask you about your thoughts on its publication.


I am delighted that my first poetry collection was published safely as scheduled.
While I was preparing this poetry collection, many people, including the editorial staff of Munhakdongne, read the manuscript carefully and sent me various opinions and encouragement.
Thanks to this, I feel less lonely, less afraid, and even more secure than I had vaguely expected.
I feel like I'm ready to hear a variety of stories from our readers.
Of course I'm nervous, but I'm trying to stay calm.
For this book, a long journey begins now.

Q2.
The title 'Omelette' has a unique feel and resonance.
Is there a meaning to the title that you envision? Or is there a way you hope it will resonate with readers?

The title 'Omelette' was given by poet Kim Min-jeong.
I never imagined that this object would become the title of my first poetry collection, even after writing the poem.
But once I heard the soft-sounding word 'omelet', I was convinced that there could not be a more accurate title.
Omelets are a flexible food whose taste changes depending on what ingredients are added and how long they are cooked.
It is also a soft food that can be easily chewed and swallowed by people of all ages, from children to the elderly.
Best of all, it can be made with a common ingredient: eggs.
You can make it yourself in your own humble kitchen or buy it at a fancy restaurant.
It's a simple dish that may seem scary at first glance, as it fully reveals the chef's skills and tastes, but it's also a comforting dish that's perfect for a quick breakfast.
The omelet that impressed me the most was the mushroom omelet in Paul Thomas Anderson's film [Phantom Thread].
What kind of omelet do you like? Each reader who opens my book will enjoy an omelet of their own, with a unique flavor and shape. Just the thought of it makes me happy.
I hope this collection of poems will be at least a little bit worth the many virtues of an omelet.

Q3.
The poetic subjects are diverse, including girls in an after-school literature class, a bear cub waking up in the southern forest, a man who came out of a stone, a girl who died in an accident, and a young monk.
Their stories are told in a variety of formats and tones, and after reading them all, it is amazing to realize that these are Im Yu-yeong's poems.
I think it's basically thanks to the power of rhythmic prose poetry.
Is there anything you consider important when writing poetry?

When I write poetry, I try to be as honest as possible with myself.
Also, when I judge whether my poetry is good or not, how honest the poetry is becomes an important criterion.
Of course, honesty and uprightness at this time are different matters from accurately replicating reality.
No matter who the subject of my poems is, I believe they all ultimately operate within the limitations of my human nature, revealing everything from my best qualities to my worst flaws.
Some people may judge me better or worse than I expected, or they may discover aspects of me that I didn't know about.
It's scary, but it's also what I want most.
The same thing happens when I read other poems.
Even if it's just a very faint feeling, you end up wanting to get something real.

No matter what, once I write a poem and submit it to the world, there's not much I can control, so I try my best to write it in a way that satisfies the version of myself I had at the time.
The rare, high-quality immersion that comes from writing like that gives me an incomparable joy.
Deep immersion also brings rhythm to language as well as joy.

Q4.
I'm curious to know if there's a poem in this collection that you particularly cherish.
That's why too.


Rather than being frugal, I'm more concerned about the debut work in Part 3.
Previously, eight poems were published with the same title, ‘Morning’, and when the poetry collection was compiled, one more poem was added with the same title, and in the end, they were all published with different titles.
I would like to hear from those who have read the previous 'Morning' series as well as those who are reading this for the first time through this book.
The three series of poems I wrote at the request of the National Museum of Modern and Contemporary Art are memorable because, unlike my usual work, I visited the actual Gwacheon Art Museum and went through an exhibition workshop to write the poems.
The poem "Damjagyunmun," which was added the latest in the entire collection of poems, is the most recent poem, and for that very reason, I am curious to know how you will read it.

Q5.
Please say hello to the readers who will be meeting you for the first time through this poetry collection.


hello nice to meet you.
We hope you enjoy our warmly prepared 'omelet'.
thank you

Poet's words

I picked up a brush, wrote this story down on paper, and posted it on the wall where people could see it.
Later, someone who liked it sold it for a reasonable price.

October 2023
Lim Yu-young