I am afraid / no one understands // the gentle mind of someone / living like a hermit
Cho Ji Hoon
Born in 1920, CHO JI HOON is one of the canonical poets of modern Korea. He was a renowned traditionalist of Korean aesthetics. Although his poetry is written in a modernist free verse form, his poems often resonate with the deep root of Korean literati Sijo. In 1939, at age 19, Cho Ji Hoon published his first poem in MoonJang. In 1946, he published his collection of poetry, Cheongnok Zip (청록집), alongside the poets Park Mokwohl and Pak Doo Zin. They were known as the Green Deer Poets, “Cheongnokpa.” He published 5 poetry collections and many essays and books related to Korean letters and culture, receiving numerous awards. A professor of Korean language and literature at Korea University for 20 years, he served as the president of the Korean cultural society affiliated with the university and as president of the Korean poet’s association.