the poetic career of lee hyeonggi can be divided into three distinct periods. the first period, best represented by his poetry anthology isolated nature, reflects the maturing thoughts of a man who has come to realize the fundamental solitude of life and the emptiness of the world. the poems dating from this period are heavily infused with the sentiment of the futility of life. his poems, however, are not simple expressions of bitterness or anger, but are characterized instead, by a bold confrontation with this futility. the poet also removes himself worldly considerations and involvement, thus purifying himself from the transient waves of existence and unveiling aspects of transcendence in harmony with nature.