Table of Contents
Thematic
Analysis
Key
Takeaways
Grammatical
Analysis of the Poem
Introduction
to the Poet
✒️ 김소월 “개여울”
당신은 무슨 일로
그리합니까?
홀로 이 개여울에 주저앉아서
파릇한 풀포기가
돋아 나오고
잔물이 봄바람에 헤적일 때에
가도 아주 가지는
않노라시던
그런 약속이 있었겠지요
날마다 개여울에
나와 앉아서
하염없이 무엇을 생각합니다
가도 아주 가지는
않노라심은
굳이 잊지 말라는 부탁인지요
Depending
on who is set as the “speaker” of this poem, you can experience more than one
distinct feeling from a single piece. Although the interpretation may be
challenging, stanzas 1, 2, and 3 can be read as being narrated by a third
person observing “you” sitting by the stream, while stanzas 4 and 5 can be seen
as spoken by “I,” who longs for the departed loved one.
If you
are familiar with the Korean language, please experience the poem's delicate yet straightforward expressions and emotions for yourself.
🎙️ Performed a poem as a song
Artist: Jung Mi-jo
Poem: Kim So-wol
Composer: Lee Hee-mok
🐾 In the song, stanzas 3, 4, and 5 are repeated as the second verse.
✒️ Thematic Analysis
Kim
Sowol’s poem “At the Stream” (“Gaeyeoul”) is a quintessential lyrical
work that captures the pain of parting, the ache of longing, and the deep
sorrow of one left behind. The image of the speaker sitting alone by the stream
on a spring day, reminiscing about the one who has gone, delicately portrays
emotions that anyone who has experienced a farewell can relate to. Sowol’s
signature use of folk-like rhythm and simple, restrained language deepens the
lingering sense of loss, resentment, and emotional resonance woven into the
reality of separation.
🌌 Stanza 1
“당신은 무슨 일로 그리합니까?
홀로
이
개여울에
주저앉아서”
“Why
do you act this way? Sitting alone here by the stream’s edge?”
→
What might a third person think as they see you sitting alone by this
stream?
→
Or is this a self-directed question, “Why are you doing this?”
🌌 Stanza 2
“파릇한 풀포기가
돋아
나오고
잔물이
봄바람에
헤적일
때에”
“When
tender green blades of grass begin to sprout, and rippling waters stir in the
spring breeze”
→
The fresh grass and the rippling water in the stream may symbolize the vitality
and renewal of nature.
→
Yet, though spring has arrived after winter, the beloved has not returned. The
gently flowing water subtly reflects the speaker’s lingering longing and
tenderness, as if emotions ripple on, like the current itself.
🌌 Stanza 3
“가도 아주 가지는 않노라시던
그런
약속이
있었겠지요.”
“There
must have been a promise once—‘Even if you(she/he) go, you(she/he) won’t be
gone completely.’”
→
This line implies that there was once a promise not to completely part ways,
yet the speaker is left to feel the emptiness of that broken vow, repeating
feelings of blame and yearning.
🌌 Stanza 4
“날마다 개여울에
나와
앉아서
하염없이
무엇을
생각합니다”
“Every
day, I come out and sit by the stream’s edge, thinking endlessly about
something.”
🌌 Stanza 5
“가도 아주 가지는 않노라심은
굳이
잊지
말라는
부탁인지요”
“Was
the promise not to leave entirely a plea—asking me not to forget you?”
→
The speaker now speaks as “I,” shifting into personal reflection. Though the
reason for the separation is unclear, the speaker’s lingering attachment and sorrow
are unmistakable.
🎯 Key Takeaways
1. "당신"
- "당신" means "you" in a formal or poetic register. It
often expresses intimacy or emotional weight in literary texts.
📌
Example Usage
"당신
없이는 살 수 없어요."
"I
can’t live without you."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"그대" – a poetic/formal version of "you"
📌
Example Usage
"그대의
미소가 내 하루를 밝혀요."
"Your
smile lights up my day."
2. "무슨 일로"
- "무슨
일로" means "for what reason" or "why."
It combines "무슨 (what kind of)" with "일 (matter, reason)" and particle "-로 (by, for, because of)."
- "무슨": "무엇 (what)" + attributive
form
- "일로": "일 (matter)" + particle
"-로 (reason/by means of)"
📌
Example Usage
"무슨
일로 이렇게 급히 오셨어요?"
"What
brings you here in such a hurry?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"왜" – "why" (more casual and general)
📌
Example Usage
"왜
그렇게 화가 났어요?"
"Why
are you so angry?"
3. "그리합니까 / 그럽니까
/ 그러나요"
- These
are variations of asking "why do you do that?" or "is that what
you do?" in polite or literary speech.
- "그리합니까": "그리 (like that)" + verb
"하다 (to do)" + formal interrogative "-ㅂ니까"
- "그럽니까": contracted form of "그리 + 하 + ㅂ니까"
- "그러나요": "그러다 (to be so, to do so)"
+ interrogative ending "-나요" (polite, curious
tone)
📌
Example Usage
"왜
그리합니까?"
"Why
are you doing that?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"왜
그러세요?" – "Why are you doing that?" (casual
polite)
📌
Example Usage
"무슨
일인데 왜 그러세요?"
"What’s
going on that you're acting like this?"
4. "홀로"
- "홀로" means "alone" or "by oneself." It is a
poetic or literary synonym for "혼자."
📌
Example Usage
"그녀는
홀로 여행을 떠났다."
"She
went on a journey alone."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"혼자" – "alone" (standard usage)
📌
Example Usage
"혼자
밥 먹는 게 익숙해요."
"I'm
used to eating alone."
5. "~에 주저앉다"
- "~에
주저앉다" means "to collapse into" or "to sink
down at." It often conveys emotional or physical exhaustion.
- "~에": locative particle "-에 (at,
in)"
- "주저앉다": "주저앉다 (to collapse, fall in)"
📌
Example Usage
"그는
길가에 주저앉아 눈물을 흘렸다."
"He
sank down by the roadside and cried."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"털썩
주저앉다" – "to plop down, collapse"
📌
Example Usage
"기운이
빠져서 바닥에 털썩 주저앉았다."
"He
was so exhausted that he collapsed to the floor."
6. "개여울 / 개울"
- "개여울" and "개울" both refer to a
shallow stream or brook. "개여울" is a more
poetic form.
📌
Example Usage
"아이들이
개울에서 놀고 있었다."
"Children
were playing in the stream."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"시냇물" – "brook, stream"
📌
Example Usage
"시냇물
소리가 마음을 편하게 해준다."
"The
sound of the brook soothes the mind."
7. "파릇한"
- "파릇한" means "greenish," "freshly green," or
"young and verdant." It is the attributive form of "파릇하다."
📌
Example Usage
"파릇한
새싹이 돋아나기 시작했다."
"Fresh
green shoots began to sprout."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"연두빛" – "light green"
📌
Example Usage
"연두빛
잎이 봄을 알렸다."
"The
light green leaves signaled spring."
8. "풀포기"
- "풀포기" means "a tuft of grass" or "clump of
grass."
- "풀": grass
- "포기": a counter or unit for plants or clumps
📌
Example Usage
"풀포기
사이로 꽃이 피었다."
"A
flower bloomed between clumps of grass."
9. "돋아 나오다"
- "돋아
나오다" means "to sprout out" or "to
emerge."
- "돋아": “돋다 (to sprout, to bud)” + connector
“-아/어”
- "나오다": to come out
📌
Example Usage
"봄이
오자 새싹이 돋아 나왔다."
"When
spring came, new buds emerged."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"튀어
나오다" – "to pop out"
📌
Example Usage
"화단에서
새싹이 튀어 나왔다."
"New
shoots popped out of the flower bed."
10. "잔물"
- "잔물" means "ripples" or "small water
movements."
- "잔": small, light
- "물": water
📌
Example Usage
"잔물이
햇빛에 반짝이고 있었다."
"The
ripples sparkled in the sunlight."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"물결" – "wave, ripple"
📌
Example Usage
"작은
물결이 바위에 부딪혔다."
"Small
waves hit the rocks."
11. "봄바람"
- "봄바람" means "spring breeze." It conveys warmth, renewal,
and the arrival of spring.
- "봄": spring
- "바람": wind, breeze
📌
Example Usage
"봄바람이
부는 길을 걸었다."
"I
walked along the road where the spring breeze blew."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"산들바람" – "gentle breeze"
📌
Example Usage
"산들바람이
살며시 얼굴을 스쳤다."
"A
gentle breeze brushed against my face."
12. "헤적이다"
- "헤적이다" means "to stir lightly" or "to ripple"
(usually water). It describes a soft, wave-like motion.
📌
Example Usage
"잔물이
봄바람에 헤적였다."
"The
ripples stirred softly in the spring breeze."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"일렁이다" – "to sway, ripple"
📌
Example Usage
"불빛이
물 위에서 일렁였다."
"The
light rippled on the surface of the water."
13. "때"
- "때" means "time" or "moment."
📌
Example Usage
"그때가
언제였는지 기억이 나지 않는다."
"I
don’t remember when that was."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"순간" – "moment"
📌
Example Usage
"그
순간 모든 것이 멈춘 듯했다."
"It
felt like everything stopped in that moment."
14. "가도 / 가지는 / 가다"
- "가다" means "to go."
- "가도": "가다" + concessive ending
"-도" (even if)
- "가지는": "가다" + auxiliary ending
"-지는" (emphasis or contrast)
📌
Example Usage
"가도
가지는 못하겠어요."
"Even
if I try to go, I just can’t."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"떠나다" – "to leave"
📌
Example Usage
"그는
아무 말 없이 떠났다."
"He
left without a word."
15. "아주"
- "아주" means "completely" or "very."
📌
Example Usage
"아주
멀리 떠나고 싶다."
"I
want to leave far away."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"완전히" – "completely"
📌
Example Usage
"그는
완전히 새로운 사람처럼 보였다."
"He
looked like a completely different person."
16. "가지는 않다" / “가지 않다”
- "가지는
않다" means "to not really go" or "doesn't
actually go"—emphasizes the action not happening.
- "가다": to go
- "-지는
않다": negative emphasis form
- “가지는
않다”: “가지 않다” + auxiliary particle
“-는” (emphasis)
📌
Example Usage
"떠나려
했지만 가지는 않았다."
"I
tried to leave, but didn’t actually go."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"머물다" – "to stay"
📌
Example Usage
"결국
그는 그 자리에 머물렀다."
"In
the end, he stayed in that place."
17. "그런"
- "그런" means "such" or "like that." It is the
attributive form of "그러하다."
📌
Example Usage
"그런
일이 다시는 없었으면 해요."
"I
hope such a thing never happens again."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"이러한" – "such, like this"
📌
Example Usage
"이러한
상황은 처음이야."
"I’ve
never been in a situation like this."
18. "약속"
- "약속" means "promise."
📌
Example Usage
"우리는
다시 만나기로 약속했다."
"We
promised to meet again."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"맹세" – "vow"
📌
Example Usage
"그는
영원한 사랑을 맹세했다."
"He
vowed eternal love."
19. "~이 있었겠지요 / ~이 있다"
- "~이
있었다": there was
- "~이
있었겠지요": assumes something existed (past assumption)
- "~이
있다": there is
- “있다” → “있었다” (past) → “있었겠다” (assumption) → sentence ending “있었겠지요”
(polite)
📌
Example Usage
"그런
약속이 있었겠지요."
"There
must have been such a promise."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"~이
존재하다" – "to exist"
📌
Example Usage
"희망이
존재한다고 믿어요."
"I
believe hope exists."
20. "날마다"
- "날마다" means "every day."
📌
Example Usage
"그는
날마다 같은 곳을 찾았다."
"He
went to the same place every day."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"매일" – "daily, every day"
📌
Example Usage
"매일
아침 운동을 한다."
"I
exercise every morning."
21. "나와 / 나오다"
- "나오다" means "to come out."
- "나와": imperative or connective form of 나오다
📌
Example Usage
"그녀는
매일 개여울에 나와 앉았다."
"She
came out to the stream and sat every day."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"밖에
나가다" – "to go outside"
📌
Example Usage
"기분
전환을 위해 밖에 나갔다."
"I
went outside to feel better."
22. "앉다"
- "앉다" means "to sit."
📌
Example Usage
"그녀는
조용히 자리에 앉았다."
"She
quietly sat down."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"자리를
잡다" – "to take a seat, settle"
📌
Example Usage
"그는
창가에 자리를 잡았다."
"He
took a seat by the window."
23. "하염없이"
- "하염없이" means "endlessly," "blankly," or
"helplessly"—implying being lost in thought or emotion.
📌
Example Usage
"그는
하염없이 눈물을 흘렸다."
"He
wept endlessly."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"멍하니" – "absentmindedly, blankly"
📌
Example Usage
"그녀는
멍하니 창밖을 바라봤다."
"She
stared blankly out the window."
24. "무엇"
- "무엇" means "what."
📌
Example Usage
"무엇을
그렇게 고민하고 있나요?"
"What
are you worrying about?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"뭐" – informal version of "무엇"
📌
Example Usage
"뭐가
문제야?"
"What’s
the problem?"
25. "~을 생각하다"
- "~을
생각하다" means "to think of/about something."
- "~을": object particle
- "생각하다": to think
📌
Example Usage
"그는
하염없이 당신을 생각했다."
"He
thought about you endlessly."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"~을
떠올리다" – "to recall, bring to mind"
📌
Example Usage
"그녀를
떠올릴 때마다 미소가 지어진다."
"Whenever
I think of her, I smile."
26. "굳이"
- "굳이" means "deliberately," "persistently," or
"even if unnecessary."
📌
Example Usage
"굳이
그렇게 말할 필요는 없었어요."
"There
was no need to say it like that."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"일부러" – "on purpose"
📌
Example Usage
"그는
일부러 그런 말을 한 거야."
"He
said that on purpose."
27. "잊지 말라 / 잊지 말다 / 잊다"
- "잊다" means "to forget."
- "잊지
말다": to not forget
- "잊지
말라": imperative form of "do not forget"
📌
Example Usage
"이
순간을 잊지 말라."
"Do
not forget this moment."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"기억하다" – "to remember"
📌
Example Usage
"그녀는
약속을 끝까지 기억했다."
"She
remembered the promise until the end."
28. "부탁"
- "부탁" means "a request" or "favor."
📌
Example Usage
"그는
마지막 부탁을 남겼다."
"He
left one last request."
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"청" – "petition, plea"
📌
Example Usage
"왕에게
간절히 청을 드렸다."
"He
earnestly pleaded with the king."
29. "~인지요?"
- "~인지요?" is a formal interrogative form meaning "is it because
~?" or "is it ~?"
- "인지": noun clause ending meaning "whether/if"
- "-요": polite sentence ending
📌
Example Usage
"굳이
잊지 말라는 부탁인지요?"
"Is
it perhaps a request to not forget?"
🌀🎨 Similar & Additional Expressions
"~인가요?" – "is it?"
📌
Example Usage
"그가
당신의 친구인가요?"
"Is
he your friend?"
✒️ Grammatical Analysis of the Poem
당신은 무슨 일로
- "당신은": "당신 (you)" + topic
particle "-은"
- “무슨
일로”: “무슨 (what kind of)” + “일 (matter, reason)” + instrumental particle “-로 (for, because of)”
→ ‘As
for you, for what reason’
📝
Meaning
A direct
question asking why the person is there or what brought them to this state,
expressing curiosity and concern
그리합니까?
- "그리": adverb meaning "so" or "like that"
- "-합니까": "하다 (to do)" + polite
interrogative ending "-ㅂ니까"
→ ‘Are
you doing that?’ or ‘Do you act like that?’
📝
Meaning
A formal
and slightly distant way of questioning the other’s behavior or emotional
state, possibly hinting at unspoken sorrow
홀로 이 개여울에 주저앉아서
- "홀로": alone
- "이": "this" (demonstrative)
- "개여울에": "개여울 (shallow stream)" +
locative particle "-에"
- "주저앉아서": "주저앉다 (to collapse, sit down
dejectedly)" + connective ending "-아서
(and)"
→
‘Alone, sitting down at this shallow stream’
📝
Meaning
The
image evokes solitude and emotional exhaustion, a quiet surrender to
overwhelming feelings.
파릇한 풀포기가
- "파릇한": "파릇하다 (to be greenish,
fresh)" + attributive form "-은"
- "풀포기가": "풀포기 (clump of grass)" +
subject particle "-가"
→ ‘The
fresh clumps of grass’
📝
Meaning
This
vivid natural image sets a seasonal tone, possibly spring, contrasting new life
with the speaker’s emotional stillness.
돋아 나오고
- "돋아
나오고": "돋다 (to sprout)"
+ connective "-아" + "나오다 (to come out)" + connective "-고"
→
‘sprout and emerge’
📝
Meaning
Symbolizes
the continuous renewal of nature, perhaps indifferent to human sorrow
잔물이 봄바람에 헤적일 때에
- "잔물이": "잔물 (ripples, small
water)" + subject particle "-이"
- "봄바람에": "봄바람 (spring breeze)" +
locative/instrumental particle "-에"
- "헤적일
때에": "헤적이다 (to ripple, stir
lightly)" + time clause ending "-ㄹ 때에
(when)"
→ ‘When
the small waters ripple in the spring breeze’
📝
Meaning
A moment
of seasonal beauty, portraying nature’s subtle movements and marking the
passage of time
가도 아주 가지는
- "가도": "가다 (to go)" + concessive
ending "-도 (even if)"
- "아주
가지는": "아주 (completely)"
+ "가지는 (go)" in attributive form
→ ‘Even
if I go, I don’t go completely’
📝
Meaning
Implies
emotional lingering and the impossibility of fully leaving someone or something
behind
않노라시던
- "않노라시던": "않다 (to not)" +
declarative future/habitual form "-노라" +
honorific marker "-시" + retrospective "-던"
→ ‘(you)
used to say you wouldn’t (completely) leave’
📝
Meaning
Echoes a
past promise or emotional attachment that remains unfulfilled or uncertain
그런 약속이 있었겠지요
- "그런": such, like that
- "약속이": "약속 (promise)" + subject
particle "-이"
- "있었겠지요": "있다 (to exist)" + past
tense "-었" + supposition ending "-겠지요 (must have been)"
• “있다” → “있었다” (past tense) → “있었겠다” (assumption) → sentence
ending “있었겠지요” (polite, question)
→ ‘There
must have been such a promise’
📝
Meaning
A
reflective statement, suggesting hope or regret over a possibly broken or
imagined promise
날마다 개여울에
- "날마다": every day
- "개여울에": "개여울 (shallow stream)" +
locative particle "-에"
→ ‘Every
day at the stream’
📝
Meaning
Implies
a repeated ritual or lingering attachment to a specific place, symbolizing
emotional fixation
나와 앉아서
- "나와": "나오다 (to come out)" +
imperative form or casual connective
- "앉아서": "앉다 (to sit)" + connective
"-아서 (and)"
→ ‘Come
out and sit’
📝
Meaning
Describes
the act of physically returning to the stream, but also emotionally revisiting
memories
하염없이 무엇을 생각합니다
- "하염없이": endlessly, without purpose
- "무엇을": "무엇 (what)" + object
particle "-을"
- "생각합니다": "생각하다 (to think)" + polite
present ending "-ㅂ니다"
→ ‘I
endlessly think about something’
📝
Meaning
Conveys
deep contemplation or sorrow that lacks resolution or clear direction
가도 아주 가지는
(Identical
to earlier line, same analysis applies)
📝
Meaning
Again, it emphasizes the emotional conflict between departure and attachment.
않노라심은
- "않노라심은": "않다 (to not)" +
declarative "-노라" + honorific nominalization
"-심" + topic particle "-은"
→ ‘As
for your saying you wouldn’t go’
📝
Meaning
The
speaker is reinterpreting a past statement, wondering whether it had a hidden
meaning.
굳이 잊지 말라는 부탁인지요
- "굳이": deliberately, insistently
- "잊지
말라는": "잊다 (to forget)"
+ negation "-지 말다" + quoting ending "-라는"
- "부탁인지요": "부탁 (request)" + "이다 (to be)" + question ending "-인지요"
→ ‘Is it
a deliberate request not to forget?’
📝
Meaning
The
speaker questions whether the lingering presence and memories are
intentional—was the promise a way to stay remembered?
✒️
Introduction to the Poet
If
you want information about the poet and to explore other poems, please refer to
the link below.
🔖 A
Korean Poem About Farewell: Deep Dive into Kim Sowol’s ‘Azaleas’ (진달래꽃)
🔖 "Calling
the Spirit": Understanding Kim Sowol’s Poem of Unending Love and Loss
🔖
Learn Korean Through Poetry: Kim Sowol’s “Mom and Sister” Explained
” Explained for Language Learners){kind=link}
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