Pi Chun-deuk (1910 - 2007) was a Korean essayist, poet, and professor.
1. Life
Born in Seoul on April 21, 1910, his pen name was Geuma. He majored in English literature at Hujiang University in Shanghai. He was a professor of English literature at Seoul National University from 1946 to 1974. In 1954, he studied English literature at Harvard University by invitation of the United States Department of State.
Primarily remembered for his essays, Pi initially established himself as a poet with the publication of his poem "Seojeongsogok" (서정소곡 Short Lyrical Piece) in Shindong-a magazine in 1930, followed by the publication of "Sogok" (소곡 Musical Sketch) and "Gasin nim" (가신 님 My Lover Has Gone). His first collection of poems, Seojeongsijip (서정시집 Lyrical Poetical Works), was published in 1947. He also published various essays, including "Nunborachineun bamui chueok" (눈보라 치는 밤의 추억 Memory of a Snowy Night), "Gidarineun pyeonji" (기다리는 편지 The Waiting Letter), "Muje" (무제 Untitled), and "Naui pail" (나의 파일 My File). He is perhaps best known for the essays "Inyeon" (인연 Affinity) and "Eunjeon han nip" (은전 한 닢 A Piece of Silver). He also published works on Elizabethan poetry and Shakespeare's sonnets.
Though a famous writer, he was known as a plain, free and easy person. He lived among books in a small apartment. The American violinist Stefan Jackiw is Pi's grandson through his daughter Seo-young, who features in many of his essays.
2. Writing
Through a clear and consistent delineation of feeling, Pi portrayed a life overflowing with poetic sentiment. Because his essays beautifully express the emotions of everyday life through an intimate and delicate style, they tend to read like prosaic lyric poetry. Thus, his essays are regarded as representative works of the lyrical-contemplative essay.
In 1947, Pi collected his poems that lyrically sang of nature and a childlike heart and published the anthology Seojeongsijip. In his 1969 anthology, Sanhowa jinju (산호와 진주 Coral and Pearl), he expressed his unattainable aspiration through the metaphor of the coral and the pearl, contributing a beautiful and lyrical poem and essay. His "Supil" (수필, Essay), a piece on essay theory written in the form of an essay, deals with the nature and characteristics of the essay.
Pi depicted ordinary subjects in a simple and delicate way which could be enjoyed by many people regardless of age or gender. His essays such as "Inyeon," "Supil," and "Peulluteu yeonjuja" (플루트 연주자 Flute Player) are regularly included in Korean textbooks as part of the school curriculum.
