He recognized his powerlessness to change conditions in the country and was deeply aware of the decline of Vietnamese feudalism. He was one of the first Vietnamese people to criticize Vietnamese feudalism as conservative and unrealistic. In 1884, he withdrew from public life and moved back to his home town Yên Đổ to support the Vietnamese resistance against the French enemy. There he found peace in his soul through a simple and tranquil life in the countryside. Later life The more adversity he met in his life, the more talented he became in his writing. He was the nexus between classical and modern Vietnamese literature. He was both a prominent lyric poet and an outstanding satirical poet. He reached the peak of Nôm letter's literature. He was the first Vietnamese poet who put opinions about current matters in classical poems. Among his best poems are: "Group of three poems about Autumn: Fishing in Autumn, Drinking in Autumn, Versing on Autumn" which express sadness and loneliness and "Paper Doctor" which ridicules incapable scholars. In addition, he was one of the few upper-class poets who wrote favourably about poor farmers. Throughout his life he taught his children to show deep gratitude toward farmers: "Even if you are a scholar, do not forget rice, beans and eggplants." He died on 5 February 1909 in his hometown Yên Đổ. See also Phan Đình Phùng Tự Đức The worshipping house for Nguyen Khuyen References 1835 births 1909 deaths People from Nam Định province Vietnamese male poets Vietnamese Confucianists 20th-century Vietnamese philosophers 19th-century Vietnamese philosophers