| Ko Hyeong-ryeol | |
| Birth Date: | 8 November 1954 |
| Birth Place: | Sokcho, Gangwon Province, South Korea |
| Occupation: | Poet |
| Nationality: | Korean |
| Korean name | |
| Hangul: | 고형렬 |
| Rr: | Go Hyeong-ryeol |
| Mr: | Ko Hyŏng-ryŏl |
Ko Hyeong-ryeol (The romanization preferred by the author according to LTI Korea[1]) born 1954 is a modern Korean poet.[2]
Ko Hyeong-ryeol was born in the town of Haenam at the southern tip of Korean Peninsula and grew up in Sokcho, Gangwon Province. After high school, Go passed an exam to become a government employee and worked as a clerk in his township. He made his literary debut in 1979 with "Zhuangzi" which was published in Contemporary Literature.[3]
Ko is a poet of “peculiar” voice.[4] Calm even as it discusses the history of Korean national division or the author's wish for Korean reunification, his poetic language carries the halting tone of a soliloquy muttered or a conversation initiated with difficulty. Though never exertive, Ko's poetry exudes the strength of compassion and warmth grounded in the poet's own perspective toward the world, which is not that of a distant observer but rather that of a close neighbor who meditates on things as though they are an immediate part of his life. As Ko has aged his work has become even more humble and pure in tone. Ko as often describes the world as full of sorrow and suffering, but his poetry also expresses life with compassion and understanding.[5]
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