Finding a good quote is not simply about discovering a beautiful sentence. It's also about encountering a line of insight that pierces our lives and emotions.
Finding Inspiration in Books
Korean literature has the power to convey empathy and solace to people across generations and cultures. These good quotes from literature contain timeless truths and human experiences, moving the reader.
The quotes introduced here are excerpted from different works, but they all contain reflections and emotions about our lives.
1. Yun Dong-ju – "Self-Portrait"
“Until my death, I hope to look up at the sky without a single trace of shame.”
This short but powerful phrase from Yun Dong-ju's poem expresses his desire to live a clean and honest life. It is a self-reflective statement amidst the pain of the times.
2. Han Kang – "The Vegetarian"
“Sadness is etched into the very bone. But that place will someday become warm.”
This phrase, which finds hope amidst suffering, acknowledges pain while speaking of the future possibilities within it.
3. Pak Wan-seo – "Who Ate Up All the Sorghum?"
“As time passes, pain does not diminish, it only becomes clearer.”
This emphasizes that past pain does not disappear with the passage of time, containing a deep insight into accepting the reality of living with that suffering.
4. Kim Young-ha – "The Memory of Murder"
“We cannot forever bring into the present certain memories that exist only in the past.”
This sadly depicts the inability to retrieve past memories that cannot be grasped within the flow of time. It conveys the quiet acceptance of the irreversibility of reality.
5. Jeong Ho-seung – "To a Narcissus"
“Do not cry. It is because you are lonely that you are human.”
One of poet Jeong Ho-seung's representative works, this comforts us by saying that loneliness is a human emotion, conveying the message that we should not suppress our feelings even during difficult times.
6. Lee Cheong-jun – "Your Heaven"
“Happiness is something you create yourself. Happiness created by others does not last long.”
This awakens us to the importance of proactively creating our happiness, containing a sense of responsibility for one's own life.
7. Kim Hoon – "The Song of the Blade"
“Those who persevere win. Those who persevere to the end win.”
This phrase emphasizes a strong will and perseverance, symbolizing an unyielding spirit in adversity and providing the driving force to overcome difficult times.
8. Choi In-hoon – "The Square"
“Human beings are never perfect. That is why they rely on each other to live.”
This is a warm phrase that acknowledges the imperfect nature of human existence and speaks to the importance of relationships where we rely on each other.
9. Kim Sa-gwa – "Mina"
“There are so many things in the world that we cannot control. That is why we must live on.”
This phrase makes us think about why we must continue living without succumbing to despair in a world we cannot control.
10. Hwang Seok-young – "The Old Garden"
“Living is not simply letting time pass by, but how you fill that time.”
This quote teaches us that life is not just about passing time, but about how we fill that time with meaning.
These quotes concisely show the deep insights contained in each work, and are phrases that can inspire us in our daily lives.
Conclusion: The Deep Resonance of Korean Literature
The quotes excerpted from Korean literature are more than just simple sentences. They contain our emotions and capture the various complex situations and changes of heart we experience while living our lives.
These phrases remain in people's hearts for a long time, even after time has passed, comforting us when we are struggling, and sometimes showing us the direction of our lives.
Why not discover more good quotes within Korean literature and feel the deep resonance they bring to our lives? In that moment, you may realize how much literature enriches our lives.
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