조선 선비의 꽃구경과 운치 있는 시회 = The Joseon Seonbi s Flower-Viewing and the Quaint Poetry Clubs

다국어 초록 (Multilingual Abstract)

The writers and the literati of Joseon Dynasty would drink and write poetry while admiring the seasonal flowers. In the early Joseon Dynasty, in spring, there were red peach blossom appreciation parties in places such as Kyoseokwan (an office that printed educational texts), Yemunkwan (an office that composed the King`s speeches and orders), and Sungkyunkwan (an office that worked for education in Confucian studies), during which these poets would drink while looking at apricot blossoms; in the early summer, they had rose appreciation parties under the blooming roses; in the midsummer, they would have pine shadow parties, during which they would drink and vacation under the lush green pine trees. Besides such national-level banquets, there were other kinds of meetings, in which the Joseon writers and literati would gather with their peers and friends to write poems while flower-viewing. In the spring, when the azaleas and peach blossoms bloom, they would hold flower-viewing parties and eat flower pancakes with their drinks. In the summer, for vacationing purposes, they would convene to drink and admire the lotus flowers-they would even drink out of cups made of lotus leaves and stem. In fall, the season of chrysanthemum, the poets held chrysanthemum appreciation parties and enjoyed the chrysanthemum cake and drink. For the 12th month of the lunar year, they would call over their friends to drink under their blossoming potted plum trees. There were stove meetings also, during which they cooked meat over the fire. Additionally, they used glass cups and candles with the lotus, or ice and candle fire with the plum blossoms to create a fantastic ambience to heighten their poetic senses. Such meetings with the combined enjoyment of flowers and drinking led to poetry clubs. This paper aims to expand on these meetings, which illustrate the poetic sensitivities of the Joseon seonbi (Joseon classical scholar).