Rapids
(개여울)

This work describes someone who acts like they have a poignant story behind them - brooding, whiling their life away watching the flowing water. The narrator asks questions and tries to guess what happened to the person, who is another case of waiting for someone who went away saying it wouldn't be long. But that person is not coming back for whatever reason. Pining for someone you're separated from is a recurring theme of Kim So-wol's work, as well as a common thread in old Korean songs and poems. The early 20th century that Kim lived through was a tumultuous time when families and loved ones going asunder was rather common, owing to frequent wars and social upheavals. There have been stories after stories, verses after verses written about them.

Our subject is one such case, unable to let go of the one that is not coming back, withering away because they can't give up. The person could very well be Kim, as he himself lost someone dear to his heart and wrote a dirge-like verse about the experience in Evocation (초혼). The rapids in the water reminds him of the cold, changing world that swept his sweetheart away, looking all the more sad and ironic because he also sees around him the new green shoots and warm breeze of life-giving springtime. The consternation, despair and soul-draining yearning are too much to bear. As usual, Kim is depicting the unseverable tie that binds people, which sometimes has the power to transcend even the most crushing of circumstances.

Happily, Lee Hui-mok (이희목), a relatively obscure composer, wrote a nicely tuneful melody to this great poem, and Jeong Mi-jo (정미조), a Cinderella on the pop music scene at the time, did justice to the song to create a memorable work. A decent hit when it came out, the song has since been covered by a slew of female singers, including Jeong herself on her recent comeback album, attesting to its popularity.