Synopses & Reviews
Poetry. Asian Studies. Translated from the Korean by Won-Chung Kim and Christopher Merrill. This selection of Korean Zen poems, spanning twelve centuries, distills the essence of Korean Buddhism. The poets range from Great Master Wonhyo (617-686), the founder of Korean Buddhism, to Choeui Eusoon (1786-1866), a hermit-monk whose poems address the monk's primary goal of seeking enlightenment. Although the age of traditional Buddhism ended in Korea by the early twentieth century when the country was exposed to the relentless flow of Western culture, the poets writing in Korea today have a deep respect for those who went before them and incorporate Buddhist lore into their work, thus enabling the Zen poets to continue to contribute to the development of Korean literature.
Synopsis
Buddhism was introduced to Korea via China in the fifth century and similar to China and Japan a long tradition of Zen poetry developed. This collection spans 1,500 years of this tradition with a selection of the key poets and teachers starting with Great Master Wonhyo the founder of Korean Zen Buddhism.
Christopher Merrill is directs the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.
Synopsis
Buddhism was introduced to Korea via China in the fifth century and similar to China and Japan a long tradition of Zen poetry developed. This collection spans 1,500 years of this tradition with a selection of the key poets and teachers starting with Great Master Wonhyo the founder of Korean Zen Buddhism.
Christopher Merrillis directs the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.
Synopsis
A celebration of 1500 years of Korean Zen poetry
About the Author
Won-Chung Kim is a professor of English Literature at Sungkyunkwan University in Seoul, Korea. He is the co-translator of Heart's Agony by Chiha Kim and is currently translatiing an anthology of Korean nature poets. Christopher Merrill has published four collection of poetry, including Watch Fire and is the author of several books of non-fiction inclusing the recent, Things of a Hidden God: Journey to the Holy Mountain. He has translated work from several languages and his works include Anxious Moments by Ales Debeljak. He directs the International Writing Program at the University of Iowa.