Democratic Bards: Whitman and Ko Un

Abstract

Politically, both Walt Whitman and Ko Un share a similar vision of poetry and the message of democracy because both poets struggle through historical turmoil, try to sing for the common people living in the shifting political climates, and finally forge a national epic of their people en-masse. In addition, while both Whitman and Ko Un are never considered poetically sophisticated, they truly succeed in getting out their vision of democracy by actively engaging in the dialogues and discourses of their times. Thus, this paper illuminates how each poet defines the poet’s role, puts out the democratic principle of ‘the many in one’ and ‘one in the many’ and makes himself as a national bard. Ultimately, this paper celebrates both poets as great monuments of democracy, who will be remembered as representatives of the American and the Korean Sublime.