이상은 이상 이상이었다 written by 조영남

 If you are Korean, most of you may know Youngnam Cho as a singer. Unfortunately he is not only singer but also artist such as a painter, a writer etc. Well as a painter, he is famous for drawing Korean traditional palying cards known as Hwatu. But this time, he wrote a book regarding Sang Lee whose poems are too abstract to understand. His main task in his book is mainly about helping people to comprehend the poet's abstruse works.

<Sang Lee>

 Fulfilling my intellectual satisfaction was the main reason why I read this book. Before reading it, I had known that his poetry was quite profound like many philosophers or artists who were telling the truth and so on. Come on! most of us do not usually think about this matter but think about our pleasure in the life. Anyway, this self-satisfactory tryout was my mistake. He just talks our lives with different tool, which makes people misunderstand his works like grotesque stuffs. It is common delusion. His poems are really fascinating, which could be recognised through the book.

 The poet's pieces were not written in English. To this point, I really acknowledge that there are certain difficulties to translate his works into English. However, I will try to do that for helping you to know how he told the world with his own expression. 

 2 persons .......1.......

Christianity looked untidy started to preach.

Al Capone stole Mountain Olive whole.

A matter after 1930-.

At the door of some church adorned with neon signs, fat Al Capone sold a ticket as he stretched his scar. 

2인.......1.......

기독基督은남루한행색으로설교를시작했다.

아아ㄹ・카아보네는감람산을산채로납촬拉撮해갔다.

1930년이후의일-.

네온사인으로 장식된어느교회입구에서는뚱뚱한카아보네가볼의상흔傷痕을신축伸縮시켜가면서입장권을팔고있었다.

< Quoting from  http://www.ohmynews.com/NWS_Web/view/at_pg.aspx?CNTN_CD=A0000839583>

 What do you think about this peom? When I read it, it was abstruse to understand. However, the author explains it in detail without any difficult notions. Can you guess what he talks? It is a critique of commercialisation of religion! Comparing with Christianity and Al Capone, the poet found that there is no difference with their style in business. What a brilliant and witted it is ! Through the writer's kind interpretation, I can understand him more and more and reject my bias toward the poet. Therefore, I really want to read this book and change your mind concerning Sang Lee. Maybe, this is a chief intention of this book.

       Appendices

※What is Mt.Olive?

 The Mount of Olives is frequently mentioned in the New Testament (Matthew 21:1;26:30, etc.) as the route from Jerusalem toBethany and the place where Jesus stood when he wept over Jerusalem. Jesus is said to have spent time on the mount, teaching and prophesying to his disciples (Matthew 24-25), including the Olivet discourse, returning after each day to rest (Luke 21:37), and also coming there on the night of his betrayal (Matthew 26:39). At the foot of the Mount of Olives lies theGarden of Gethsemane. The New Testament, tells how Jesus and his friends sang together - "When they had sung the hymn, they went out to the Mount of Olives" Gospel of Matthew 26:30. Jesus ascended to heaven from the Mt of Olives as recorded in the book of Acts 1:9-12. <From Wikipedia>

  
※Who is Al Capone?

Alphonse Gabriel "Al" Capone (January 17, 1899 – January 25, 1947) was an Italian-American gangster who led a Prohibition-era crime syndicate. Known as the "Capones", the group was dedicated to smuggling and bootlegging liquor, and other illegal activities such as prostitution, in Chicago from the early 1920s to 1931. <From Wikipedia> 

I can do it? No way !

 The Contemporary Myth "I can do it"

1.  In the ancient Greek myth, there are lots of heroes like Heracles, Achilles, and Perseus who overcame difficulties with their own endeavours. On the other hand, there are also many stories like Icarus who died because he tried to fly higher like gods. Icarian stories tell us not to be hubristic but humble with satisfying with one’s position. I know that it may sound strange why I’m quoting the myth of heroes and Icarus. However, those are related to the topic " I can do it". Comparing with the opposite stories - overcoming hardship versus being restricted by impossibilities- most of people are truly enthusiastic for the former. A word" I can do it "signifies that people can also conquer obstacles like many heroes. Unfortunately, they don’t seriously care about a fact that the characteristics of the protagonists are basically different with that of us. Their origin was come from a relationship between mortals and immortals, that is, they could overcome all of difficulties because one of their parents was immortal. In this respect, we can never be heroes but Icarus. The narrative ,therefore, is only oblivion and distortion of the reality caused by fear.
2.            Then, what is the actual world which we’re afraid of facing it? It is the world where diverse social fences do really exist like sun in Icarian story. Well, let me give you two different examples. One is a boy whose family only earns less than 1 dollar a day and lives in a slum. His only hope in his daily struggling life might be rich for escaping from poverty chaining him or even a doctor for saving one’s lives threatened by deficient money. The other case is a boy whose family income is more than 10,000 dollars a day living in a wealthy village. His future plan will probably take a good qualified education and be rich like his parents. Comparing with those instances, who does have more possibilities to fulfill their hope? Whether the poor offspring is industrious or not, it doesn’t matter, but the problem is depending upon a width of possible chances. In the past, it was related to one’s rank. However, one’s property replaces the role of it in the capitalistic world. Though the former is smart, the probability of his success is bare because he can’t afford a lot of money needed to realise his dream. You may counter my opinion with several cases like Oprah Windfrey who had been born in a poor family and became one of the richest women in America. But you should recognise that it’s quite unique case hard to be normalised. In general, more opportunities mean more possibilities. That’s why I call a word " I can do it" a grand narrative because it perverts general situation by showing some extraordinary conditions. Social property such as parental economic influence and social networks etc is more influential than individual asset like diligence, intelligence and so on. Hence, what I really want to say today is that there are certain things beyond one’s ability.
3.            As I mentioned above, there’s no such solutions helpful to make us successful beyond our socially permitted borders. When our goal is harmonious with our social environment, a positive result will be deduced. On the contrary, when a dissonant situation happens, its realisation becomes dim. What should we do in those miserable phenomena? Via penetratingly acknowledgement what socially chains us, we should search practicable dreams within affordable circumstances. Whereof we cannot control, thereof we must forego