Self-presentation in the poetry of Lu Kuei-meng (d. 881?)

The poetry of Lu Kuei-meng, a Chinese writer of the Soochow area in the later ninth century, is largely concerned with presenting an image of himself as a frustrated but noble recluse. Embarrassed by not passing the civil service examination, he appears sometimes bitter and sometimes self-satisfied about not serving as an official. According to his poetry he underwent hunger and sickness as a farmer, and he suffered because of banditry and violent rebellion against the government. Distressed and disappointed about society and his position in it, he took on the role of recluse, claiming to preserve his integrity by having little to do with the world outside his gate. His poetry asserts his worthiness in part because of his skill in literary activities, which hold a central position in his thought. He indicates that the prevailing attitude toward literary studies is what determines the course of society at any stage of history. As a member of the Taoist Church, he writes of himself as seeking the rewards of a life connected with numinous beings. Appearing in his poems as proud of a rich inner life centered upon his reclusion, literary pursuits, and Taoism, he employs a poetics of self-justification.