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Japanese Women Poets: An Anthology
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Comments/Reviews
Description: Throughout history, Japanese women have excelled in poetry-- from the folk songs of the Kojiki (Record of Ancient Matters) compiled in 712 and the court poetry of the 9th to the 14th centuries, on through the age of haikai and kanshi to the 19th century, into the contemporary period when books of women's poems have created a sensation.
This anthology presents examples of the work of more than 100 Japanese women poets, arranged chronologically, and of all the major verse forms: choka, tanka, haikai (haiku), kanshi (verse written in Chinese), and free verse. The poems describe not just seasonal changes and the vagaries of love--which form the thematic core of traditional Japanese poetry--but also the devastations of war, childbirth, conflicts between child-rearing and work, experiences as refugees, experiences as non-Japanese residents in Japan, and more.
Sections of poetry open with headnotes, and the editor has provided explanations of terms and references for those unfamiliar with the Japanese language. Other useful tools include a glossary of poetic terms, a chronology, and a bibliography that points the reader toward other works by and about these poets. There is no comparable collection available in English.
Students and anyone who appreciates poetry and Japanese culture will treasure this magnificent anthology. Editor and translator Hiroaki Sato is a past winner of the PEN America translator prize and the Japan-United States Friendship Commission's 1999 literary translation award.
Selected Contents:
Note and Acknowledgments
Chronology
Twelve Months
Introduction
Ancient Songs
Songs from the Kojiki ; Songs from the Nihon Shoki
Poems from the Man'yoshu
The Age of Tanka
The Age of Haikai and Kanshi
Haikai Poets as Eccentrics
Interludes
A Brief Survey of Senryu by Women; A Brief Survey of Haiku by Women
The Modern Age
Japanese Verse Forms and Poetic Terms
Bibliography
Index of Poets
Comment(s): "What grace to have these indelibly brilliant translations by the masterful Hiroaki Sato! ... Sato triumphs again with this extraordinarily researched and documented testimony to the number of powerful women writers in Japan's poetics canon. His scholarship and brilliant attention to detail in providing a background of Japanese culture and chronology that place the poems historically and his modern, informative, and lyrical discussion on the Twelve Months set the stage for this unparalleled collection of verse. The introduction alone is a must for anyone drawn to Japanese poetry. More than an anthology, this collection encompasses a world and transports us there!" -- Maureen Owen, author of American Rush: Selected Poems
"For readers unacquainted with Japanese poetry--and the special role of women in shaping its aesthetics--Hiroaki Sato's introduction, translations, and footnotes will be a revelation. Those already familiar with the art will find much to delight and surprise them. As in his past collections, Sato offers both sparkling commentary and a generous selection of work. From the seventh-century Princess who calls out that her heart is 'a bird on an inlet' to the contemporary poet who likens her sadness to 'tuning forks in the water,' the voices in this text speak with a piercing eloquence. And all those voices belong to women. Similar anthologies have provided a mere taste of the bounty offered here." -- Kimiko Hahn, author of The Narrow Road to the Interior: Poems
Review(s): One of the beauties of this anthology, compared to others that attempt a comprehensive view of Japanese women's poetry is Sato's contextualization of the works within literary history, which helps make this anthology not only a great reference work for scholars, but also an appropriate text for undergraduate and graduate courses in Japanese literature. Through his editorial choices, Sato creates a series of echoes and reverberations among the poets that further contribute to our understanding of the history of early Japanese women's poetry as a conversation among poets, critics, and texts. ... Offering a far wider range of women poets writing about the War than other translators who tend to focus on the same one or two voices, Sato reminds us just how fertile the field of Japanese women's poetry really is. Journal of Asian Studies
This overflow is a torrent of feeling and well indicates what Japanese women over the centuries have experienced. This they communicate directly and the result is an anthology just as modern as anything written yesterday. The Japan Times
...[a] 'must-have' addition to international poetry shelves. Highly recommended. The Midwest Book Review
This is the most comprehensive anthology of poetry by Japanese women to date. ... This cornucopia opens up new perspectives on women's lives in both the premodern and modern eras. It should fascinate those interested in women's studies and comparative literature and banish the stereotype of the meek Japanese woman. Essential. All readers, all levels. Choice
I recommend that you give Sato's unique methodology and approach a long, careful look--you may be rewarded with delightful rediscoveries of many old favorites you thought you knew, as well as introduced to much that is completely new and unfamiliar. Sato's introductory material, commentary, and notes about the authors, provide valuable information and assistance in understanding and appreciating the tremendous scope of this literature. Modern English Tanka
This is the most comprehensive anthology of poetry by Japanese women ever to be published. It includes poets from the seventh century to the twenty-first century and aims for a wide audience, but the scholarly foundation of its pre-modern section and the large scope of its modern section will make it suitable for use in survey courses on Japanese literature at universities. ... It is an enormous contribution to the field of Japanese literary studies. Japan Forum
    
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