Poetry off the Shelf: Sijo Poetry

Though less familiar than its Japanese cousin, haiku, Korean sijo has a similarly rich heritage. Like haiku, it employs three lines, although its 40-some syllables are more flexible and allow for narrative developments that aren’t feasible in haiku’s 17-syllable form. Join David McCann, poet, translator, and one of the foremost experts on the form, for an exploration of traditional Korean sijo and the growing body of sijo in English. McCann teaches at Harvard and is the author of four books of poetry, including Urban Temple: Sijo Twisted and Straight, published in Korean translation by Ch’angbi Publishers in Seoul this year. A reception will follow.

Doors open 30 minutes before program start time; program will last approximately one hour.

Co-sponsored with the Sejong Cultural Society and the Harvard Club of Chicago