Nguyen Trai
(1380-1442) Vietnam
Nguyen Trai is considered among the most notable classical poets of the Southeast Asian nation of Vietnam. Born at a time when Vietnam was still dominated by neighboring China, Nguyen Trai helped repel a Chinese invasion and was instrumental in rebuilding his war-torn land. A scholar as well as a soldier and politician, he produced the first major treatment of the geography of Vietnam and pioneered literature composed in the native Vietnamese language. His poetry, written late in life, helped establish the principles of Vietnamese verse.