Longing Turned Into Song: “Thinking of My Mother”
Parents’ Day on May 8 is a day to appreciate the grace of parents and reflect on the meaning of respect and gratitude. Originally established as “Mother’s Day” in 1956, it was changed to its current name in 1973 following social demands to honor fathers as well, and it became a national commemorative day. The tradition of giving carnations to parents continues to this day, but there are also growing concerns that its essential meaning is gradually fading amid busy daily lives and communication methods centered on digital media. Therefore, beyond material gifts or formal greetings, there is a need to newly reflect on the meaning of Parents’ Day as an opportunity for communication that bridges generational disconnection and conveys sincere gratitude and love to parents. In this context, Chair Kim Sun Hyang’s poem “Thinking of My Mother” has been newly reborn as music, evoking deep resonance to many people. This work delicately captures longing, love, and belated realization toward one’s mother, encouraging people to once again reflect on the original meaning of Parents’ Day. In particular, this work, in which poetry and music are harmoniously combined, warmly illustrates the unchanging emotional bond between parents and children while underscoring the value of genuine communication and gratitude within families, which are gradually being forgotten in modern society.
A Mother’s Song Created Through Poetry and AI
In this context, Chair Kim Sun Hyang of the University of North Korean Studies released her poem “Thinking of My Mother” as a song. This work expands a poem based on personal memories with her mother into music, and the harmony of words and melody conveys emotions with even greater richness. The poem calmly expresses everyday scenes shared with her mother during childhood, as well as the love and longing that are only fully realized after time has passed. Rather than exaggerated emotions, the work reveals sincerity through restrained language, evoking deep empathy and resonance among many people. In particular, this work has also drawn attention because it was produced in two versions: one sung by a human singer and the other performed by an AI singer. This demonstrates that AI is expanding beyond a simple technical tool into a new creative medium connecting literature, music, and human emotion.
Poetry is an art form that contains deep emotions within concise language, but when combined with music, its expressive power becomes even greater. This work also leaves a lasting impression through melody and rhythm while maintaining calm narration and restrained expression. Rather than directly appealing to emotions, its quietly penetrating style of expression invites listeners to recall their own memories of their mothers. In addition, modern sounds and sophisticated arrangements have been added, allowing the work to be reborn as a new cultural content in which traditional lyricism and contemporary sensibility are harmoniously combined.
Recently, creative methods utilizing artificial intelligence (AI) beyond the combinationof poetry and music have also been rapidly spreading. AI-based voice synthesis and arrangement technologies are transforming existing creative forms by implementing texts in various voices and moods. In particular, in the process of reciting poetry or reinterpreting it as music, AI enables more delicate vocal expression and the realization of diverse styles. This “Thinking of My Mother” project can be seen as a meaningful example showing how literary works containing human memories and emotions can evolve into new artistic possibilities through the meeting of music and AI technology.
Empathy and Resonance Across Generations
Warm responses from students toward the work have also emerged. Students said they were moved by how the poem conveys deep emotions through everyday memories and understated language rather than grand expressions. One student said, “I was impressed by the restrained way the emotions contained in ordinary memories were expressed,” while another student shared, “It made me realize once again that my mother’s words and actions, which I used to pass by carelessly as a child, were actually expressions of deep love.”
In particular, the song adaptation has been praised for conveying the emotions of the poem more richly and eliciting deep emotional engagement from students. Some students commented that “The way it naturally expressed emotions that suddenly arise when one is alone felt very realistic,” while others said, “Listening to it with music evoked an even deeper lingering impression.”
https://youtu.be/9dx-1yo_ki8?si=MqDMM9GNek04KCv
https://youtu.be/vtkL3j6lZW8?si=sPp4IFbpl6CP8o2Y
In addition, comments such as “It made me think that I should treat my parents better” show that the work goes beyond simple appreciation, providing an opportunity an opportunity to reflect once again on the meaning of family and love.
In this way, although “Thinking of My Mother” began from personal memories, it has resonated deeply with people across generations and experiences, revealing the healing and communicative power of literature and music.
어머니를 생각하면
김선향
홀로 어머니를 생각하면
자꾸 눈물이 난다.
사람들 속에서
어머니를 이야기할 때면
자연스럽게 웃곤 하는데
왜, 혼자 생각하면
눈물이 나는 걸까.
어머니는 그렇게
희생의 슬픈 존재일까
설명할 수 없는
사랑 그 자체일까
나는 생전의 어머니를
아끼고 사랑하지 못했지만
어머니는 지금
내 머릿속 한구석에
나를 절대적으로 사랑하는
존재로
내 몸에 전율을 일으킨다.
Thinking of My Mother
By Kim Sun Hyang
Alone,
as I think of my mother,
tears keep rising to my eyes.
In the company of others,
I find myself smiling
at the mention of her,
yet why, in the stillness of solitude,
do the tears always begin to fall?
Is a mother a being of sorrowful sacrifice,
or is she simply Love itself,
beyond all explanation?
I did not love or cherish her enough
while she was alive.
But now, in a quiet corner of my mind,
she remains the one who loved me
absolutely— an eternal presence,
sending a tremor through my entire being.
