Distant valleys

The poems of the early twentieth-century poet Chong Chi-yong breathe the air of the village, sea and mountains of the Korean peninsula. Fresh, concise, and rich in subtle, down-to-earth imagery, they brim with human affection and love of life. They have their source in childlike wonder, closeness to nature, and affection for one's fellow human beings; and they invite us to savor truths implicit in the heart's endless longing.

With a Korean fondness for playful humor and beauty rooted in the commonplace, they draw us into picturesque local scenes whose horizons, nonetheless, know no bounds.