Solitary Cloud: Poetry of Choe Chiwon

This book is a translation and study of the poetry of the ninth-century Korean literary icon Ch oe Ch iw n, who has long been celebrated as the founding father of classical literature in Korea. Ch oe s literary legacy was characterized by his ability to cross both cultural and ideological boundaries. ... Ch oe Ch iw n was a versatile author who produced writings of many forms about a variety of subjects. His career as a civil official demanded composition of administrative and political writings, including memorials, reports and letters. Following his retirement, he concentrated his energy on religious pursuits, and wrote extensively on Buddhist subjects, particularly biographies of renowned Silla Buddhist masters. From these official and religious writings we get a glimpse of the society and culture in which Ch oe s life unfolded. But it is in his poetry that we encounter the person Ch oe Ch iw n, his hopes and dreams, his joys and sorrows, his social activities and innermost thoughts. In order to sketch Ch oe s changing life and person, in this chapter we will trace his poetic footprints by looking at some of the general themes that appear in his poetry.