How Lyrical Translation Shaped Modern Korean Poetry

The Literary Exchange That Shaped Colonial Korean Identity

For those interested in the evolution of modern literature, the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa offers a rare glimpse into the linguistic crucible of early 20th-century Korea. On November 5, the Center for Korean Studies will host a presentation titled “Lyrical Translation: The Creation of Modern Poetry in Colonial Korea,” led by David Krolikoski, an associate professor specializing in Korean literature. The event, scheduled for 4:00 p.m. in the Center for Korean Studies Auditorium, explores how the act of translation served not just as a mechanical transfer of words, but as a mechanism for forging a new national idiom.

The discussion centers on Krolikoski’s new monograph, which argues that modern Korean poetry did not emerge in a vacuum. Instead, it was developed through a complex process of cultural and linguistic negotiation. By examining a vast collection of primary materials—ranging from Japanese-language editorials to critical essays and private correspondence—the book highlights how writers during the colonial period actively crossed the boundaries between languages to redefine what it meant to write verse in Korean.

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The book is a literary history of modern Korean poetry’s origins and its development through translation. Drawing on a vast collection of primary materials in Korean and Japanese, David Krolikoski situates close readings of major poems against critical writing from the period.

Why Translation Was a Political Act

The stakes of this historical inquiry reach beyond mere literary analysis. As the University of Hawai‘i at Mānoa reports, this development of a “new idiom of verse” was as much about asserting a distinct cultural identity as it was about artistic innovation.

The academic rigor behind this work is significant. Krolikoski is a recognized authority in the field, with scholarship appearing in publications such as Japanese Language and Literature and Azalea: Journal of Korean Literature & Culture. His new monograph examines the origins and development of modern Korean poetry through the lens of translation and the crossing of linguistic and cultural boundaries. Instead, he demonstrates that it was a deliberate, often fraught, intellectual construction.

Contact Center for Korean Studies Details

While registration is recommended, the university notes that it is not strictly required for attendance.

The event is co-sponsored by the Center for Korean Studies, the Department of East Asian Languages & Literatures, and the Department of English. For further details, the Center for Korean Studies can be reached at 808-956-7041 or via their official events page.