Modern Japanese Tanka

Rating:
Summary: A BEAUTIFUL, INTELLIGENT BOOK
Review: A really wonderful book filled with many astonishing poems (and an excellent introduction). A must for all lovers of poetry, especially tanka.

Rating:
Summary: BREATH-TAKING
Review: a sheer delight in every possible sense. luminous translations, excellent choices, and fascinating biographies. a must for lovers of japanese poetry. or anybody looking for an other-worldly experience.

Rating:
Summary: An Exquisite Delight
Review: A wonderful (and beautifully laid-out and translated) anthology crammed with dozens of astonishing poems, plus an excellent introduction. A must for all lovers of poetry, especially tanka

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Summary: Tanka teaches the art of poetry
Review: Not only is the book beautiful to have in your hands, its contents are excellent. Ueda's introduction is a comprehensive look at the development of the tanka form, and an orientation of its poets within the broader literary movements of Japanese tanka, and other contemporary poetry. Each poet is introduced with a reletively lengthy biography which provides personal information helpful to the contemplation of their poetry, especially considering that tanka are mostly occasional poems written as an expression of daily living. If you've never read tanka, try it. You'll find yourself seeing your life in immortal poetic fragments. And if you already do document your life in poems, here is an elegant and simple way to express yourself in metric form.