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Upright Korean poet Lee Byeong-ki

Posted December. 14, 2018 07:42,   

Updated December. 14, 2018 07:42

한국어

Lee Byeong-ki left familiar Korean poems such as "Orchid" and "Star" and wrote a monumental paper titled "Korean poems should innovate," which showed the direction of Korean poem’s innovation, not to mention his various achievements in bibliography and Korean literature. The Garam Library was established in Seoul National University after collecting massive amounts of literature on Korean language and literature as well as Korean History. Classical literatures including "The Memoirs of Lady Hyegyeong," "The Tale of Queen Inhyeon," "Yolowonyahwagi," and "Chunhyangga," were discovered. When analyzing the handwriting of the poet, his rationality is more developed than his feelings with an upright personality. This shows that he suits to be a scholar or a governor rather than a poet. When taking a look at his gemlike poems, it proves that the argument that it is difficult for an artist to be upright because feelings are important is nothing more than a pretense.

The handwriting that forms an exact square and balance means that a person is not creative and acts based on what he or she learned, conservative, rational and careful. Opportunistic traits or capriciousness is difficult to find is such people. The lack of flexibility and ridged handwriting shows that a person has strong will and is critical. The swoops at the starting and end of a vowel are very conspicuous, demonstrating a vigorously strong will. This upright poet, who endured the hardships of prison life due to the Joseon Language Society case, wrote poems in his later years that charges corruption and incorporates resistance against the tyranny of power.

The poet had a slow handwriting, which is mostly used by people who are exact and considerate. Such handwritings are mostly seen in scholars and perfectionists. The particularly narrow space between letters reveals that a person makes his or her own decisions and is strict in expressing or recognizing oneself. These people are not the best when it comes to adapting to new or different environment. Nonetheless, as the handwriting expressed conspicuous regularity, it could be said that the poet was trustworthy and had will and concentration power. The space between the parts that comprise a letter shares spare space and frequent appearance of smoothness. That is why he could speak of himself as a “man of three good fortunes” – pupil, brush, and liquor.