Poetry and Poetics of Ancient Japan

Translated from the Japanese by Thomas Fitzsimmons. A priceless resource for the student and scholar of ancient Japanese poetry. These five lectures were originally presented to the College de France by Ooka, the author of more than 15 books of poetry and winner of over 10 major literary prizes, was president of the Japan PEN Club from 1989 to 1993 and was made Officier de l'Ordre des Arts et des Lettres by the French government just prior to being invited to give these lectures. Ooka discusses Sugawara no Michizane (845-903), the basic concepts of the imperial poetry anthologies, great women poets of the Nara and Heian eras, landscape poetry and popular songs of the middle ages.