In the Chosŏn dynasty the members of the scholar–official class continued to occupy the dominant ruling position they had held during the Koryŏ period. Based on their Confucian knowledge and refinement, these literati enjoyed cultural superiority. As the civil service examinations emphasized literary talents, they led to a development of literature and produced excellent poets who wrote in literary Chinese. A member of the scholar–official class was a government functionary when in office and a writer when out of service. This lifestyle led to two distinct characteristics in their literary works: one was a courtier literature comprising, for example, diplomatic documents; the other was a literature of retired gentlemen who sang of leisure and joy in nature.

THE POETIC WORLD OF EARLY CHOSŎN

The representative literary figures of early Chosŏn are Chŏng Tojŏn (d. 1398) and Sŏ Kŏjŏng (1420–1488). Chŏng Tojŏn was an influential official who helped Yi Sŏnggye (1392–1398) found the Chosŏn dynasty and was directly involved in formulating its institutions and policies. Chŏng's poetry shows both a critical consciousness of social problems and the determination of a scholar–official who entered the political stage in late Koryŏ with a mission to reform society. We note especially his works that concern the Confucian kingship, the ideology of the scholar–officials, and the solidarity of his Confucian colleagues. The vigorous and progressive spirit of Chŏng's poems derives from his sense of mission.