Part of what makes poetry such a fascinating art form is the incredibly beautiful ways it can be interpreted. Across a multitude of cultures and environments, poetry appears to have played a role in retelling stories, teaching lessons, or expressing emotions which words can't seem to properly encapsulate. Poetry is universal in the sense it can be for anybody. Perhaps one of the most incredible forms of poetry is music. After all, many songs with lyrics are poetry accompanied with music. BTS (Bangtan Sonyeondan) are a world renowned K-Pop band, consisting of seven members who all hail from South Korea. Their performances are flashy, elaborately choreographed numbers in which members show off their singing, rapping, and dancing abilities. BTS has proven to the world that despite singing in a completely different language, music and poetry is universal. They are the first Asian musical act that has been able to break into the American market. As an Asian-American, their story is absolutely inspiring for me. Perhaps one of their most touching songs for me is “Black Swan,” an intricately composed piece that is hauntingly beautiful.
“Black Swan” is about death. But not death in the typical sense, rather, the song speaks of the death of an artist. There’s a famous saying which says that for dancers, there are two deaths. The first is the day they are unable to continue dancing and the second is their physical death itself. As an artist, the ability to continue expressing oneself through an art form is what brings meaning and life to an artist, and without that ability, they might as well actually be dead. During the “Death” unit of class, we examined the various ways in which death can be expressed through poetry. Examples ranged from the death of a loved one, war, what it means to be alive, and etc. However, there are many types of deaths in the world. “Black Swan” provides a perfect example of how poetry can be used to metaphorically represent an idea which cannot be truly expressed in any other way. The pain of not being able to continue writing, drawing, creating, composing, or doing what gives you purpose in life, is a pain which the word “death” exemplifies perfectly.
Additionally, “Black Swan” serves as an example of how music can transcend any barrier which humans have created. The song is entirely in Korean, but the melody and lyricism are powerful. BTS, as musical artists, have shown the entire Western hemisphere that there is beauty in Asian culture, and just because one doesn’t speak the language doesn’t mean that the impact of the music is reduced. All of the poems and literature we study in school is oriented around Western culture, which is understandable given the current climate we live in. However, as we continue to be increasingly globalized, I believe it’s critical to stretch the literature we are exposed to in order to represent the world we live in. The emotions and feelings BTS expresses in their music are concepts that many people find incredibly relatable, from feelings of loneliness, lost love, depression, anxiety, and female empowerment. People all over the world experience these thoughts, and in recognizing this fact, I believe it’d help to connect us in stronger ways. BTS’s music has the power to be understood by anyone willing to broaden their horizons and listen to music in another language. I believe a closer examination into the lyrics and thoughts that BTS composes their music about, people would be much more open-minded about poetry from different cultures.
