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Modern Japanese Tanka Paperback – April 15, 1996

by Makoto Ueda (Author, Editor)
4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 22 ratings
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Tanka, a clasical Japanese verse form like haiku, has experienced a resurgence of interest among twentieth-century poets and readers. Arguably the central genre of Japanese literature, the 31-syllable lyric made up the great majority of Japanese poetry from the ninth to the nineteenth century and was the inspiration for such poetry as haiku and renga. Tanka has begun to attract considerable attention in North America in recent years. Modern Japanese Tanka is the first comprehensive collection available in English.

Tanka retains the aesthetic sensibilities that circumscribe Japanese culture, but just as Japan has changed during this tumultuous century, tanka has undergone equally radical shifts. Responding to artistic and social movements of the West, tanka has incorporated influences ranging from Marxism to Avant-Garde.

Modern Japanese Tanka includes four hundred poems by twenty of Japan's most renowned poets who have made major contributions to the hisotry of tanka in the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. With his graceful, eloquent translations, Makoto Ueda captures the distinct voices of these individual poets, providing biographical sketches of each as well as transliterating Japanese text below each poem. His introduction gives an excellent overview of the development of tanka in the last one hundred years.

Tracing the contemporary tanka tradition from Yosana Tekkan in the late nineteenth century to the late twentieth-century poetry of such writers as Taware Machi, Modern Japanese Tankselegantly conveys an authentic sense of Japanese lyric to a Western audience.
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  1. Print length
    288 pages
  2. Language
    English
  3. Publisher
    Columbia University Press
  4. Publication date
    April 15, 1996
  5. Dimensions
    4.96 x 0.79 x 8.94 inches
  6. ISBN-10
    0231104332
  7. ISBN-13
    978-0231104333
  8. See all details
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Editorial Reviews

Review

"Owing to masterful editing and translating by Makoto Ueda, the beauty of the original poetry shines forth throughout this volume." -- "Choice"

About the Author

MAKOTO UEDA is Professor of Japanese at Stanford University.

Product details

  • Publisher ‏ : ‎ Columbia University Press; 0 edition (April 15, 1996)
  • Language ‏ : ‎ English
  • Paperback ‏ : ‎ 288 pages
  • ISBN-10 ‏ : ‎ 0231104332
  • ISBN-13 ‏ : ‎ 978-0231104333
  • Item Weight ‏ : ‎ 12 ounces
  • Dimensions ‏ : ‎ 4.96 x 0.79 x 8.94 inches
  • Customer Reviews:
    4.6 4.6 out of 5 stars 22 ratings

Customer reviews

4.6 out of 5 stars
22 global ratings

Customers say

Customers find the reading material pleasant, informative, and superb. They also appreciate the brief biographies of each featured poet. Readers describe the writing style as accessible and lyrical. They say the format is easily readable and the 1000-year-old form is being used by modern Japanese writers is inspiring.

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Reading materialWriting style
5 customers mention "Reading material"5 positive0 negative

Customers find the reading material pleasant, informative, and fascinating. They enjoy reading the brief biographies of each featured poet. Readers say the book is a superb introduction to tanka from the 19th through mid-20th centuries. They also say it's gentle and inviting.

"...I personally found this book very interesting because of my passion for Asian poems and philosophy.Rating: 5 Stars...." Read more

"...of writing any kind of poetry, reading these selections will give your imagination a boost." Read more

"This is a superb introduction to 19th through mid-20th century Tanka. It includes:1...." Read more

"Powerful and accessible work on Tanka. Gentle and inviting. Read it and write." Read more

3 customers mention "Writing style"3 positive0 negative

Customers find the writing style accessible and readable. They say the poetry retains the beautiful lyricism of Haiku while expanding on it. Readers also mention the format is inspiring and the 1000-year-old form is being used by modern Japanese writers.

"Seeing the way this 1000 year old form is being used by modern Japanese writers is inspiring...." Read more

"...His writing style is very accessible, so these two books are of interest and delight to the general public as well as to specialists...." Read more

"...before I found this book, I can assure you that the poetry retains the beautiful lyricism of Haiku while expanding on concepts and often adding a..." Read more

Top reviews from the United States

Joseph J. Truncale
5.0 out of 5 stars A fantastic collection of Japanese Tanka poems by some of the best Tanka poets in Japan. A great read.
Reviewed in the United States on January 20, 2016
Verified Purchase
I have been a lover of Asian poetry (Japanese and Chinese) for many years. In fact, my favorite poetic form is Japanese Haiku, which is a 17 syllable poem of three lines of 5-7-5 in most cases. I have read numerous books on Haiku but this is the first book I have read on (Modern Japanese Tanka edited by Makoto Ueda) the Japanese Tanka poetic form which is a 31-syllable lyric. (5-7-5-7-7) This kind of poetic form usually has five lines and is about, love, the seasons, death and other topics.

This 265 page soft cover volume has four hundred poems by twenty of Japan’s most famous poets who have made major contributions to the history of Tanka. After a detailed introduction explaining Tanka poetry there are twenty poets who are known as some of the best Tanka poets of Japan. Some of these poets include the following: Yosano Tekkan (1873-1935), Masaoka Shiki (1867-1902), Mori Gai (1862-1922), Yosano Akiko (1878-1842), Saito Mokichi (1882-1953), Toki Zenmaro (1885-1980) and many other wonderful poets.

If you are seeking a book on Japanese poetry such as the Tanka form, this is a must book to have in your personal poetry library. I personally found this book very interesting because of my passion for Asian poems and philosophy.

Rating: 5 Stars. Joseph J. Truncale (Author: Haiku Moments: How to read, write and enjoy Haiku)
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Bret Mars
4.0 out of 5 stars Like haiku with overdrive
Reviewed in the United States on July 1, 2006
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Seeing the way this 1000 year old form is being used by modern Japanese writers is inspiring. If you are trying to get the hang of writing any kind of poetry, reading these selections will give your imagination a boost.
2 people found this helpful
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Linda Johnsen
5.0 out of 5 stars Pleasurable and Informative
Reviewed in the United States on December 8, 2015
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This is a superb introduction to 19th through mid-20th century Tanka. It includes:

1. history of the Tanka movement in Japan, including an explanation of how Tanka differs from Haiku
2. excellent selection of poems
3. fascinating overview of each poet's and poetess' life

While you're here, you might also pick up Ueda's famous companion anthology, Modern Japanese Haiku.

By the way, though Ueda is a prominent authority on Japanese poetics, these two anthologies are not written in scholarly jargon. His writing style is very accessible, so these two books are of interest and delight to the general public as well as to specialists. Either of these volumes would make wonderful gifts for friends of yours who might enjoy shorter-length poems.
2 people found this helpful
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S. Phillips
5.0 out of 5 stars Lovely!
Reviewed in the United States on April 28, 2007
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I found this book in the library when I was 14 and LOVED it. I didn't get my own copy until I was 19 (yes, long wait) but I was so happy when I did. The selection is great and the format easily readable. Having never read any tanka before I found this book, I can assure you that the poetry retains the beautiful lyricism of Haiku while expanding on concepts and often adding a more "human" element to the ideas portrayed. Great book for any Tanka lover or to those new to tanka.
5 people found this helpful
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Richard F.
5.0 out of 5 stars Best Source for Writers and Readers of Tanka
Reviewed in the United States on April 11, 2019
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Powerful and accessible work on Tanka. Gentle and inviting. Read it and write.
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R. Jackofsky
4.0 out of 5 stars Nice collection
Reviewed in the United States on May 30, 2019
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Nice collection of tanka. I enjoyed reading the brief biographies of each featured poet.
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Philly Customer
5.0 out of 5 stars Five Stars
Reviewed in the United States on March 4, 2018
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An absolutely gorgeous book.
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That Girl
4.0 out of 5 stars pretty good
Reviewed in the United States on November 28, 2009
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i prefer the really old stuff, but this had some extremely lovely work in it.
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Top reviews from other countries

a sweet machine
5.0 out of 5 stars The Best Introduction to Tanka
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on March 29, 2015
Verified Purchase
There is a bit of debate as to whether English-language haiku and tanka qualify as poetry. The argument goes that their supposedly tight syllabic structure provides too little space for the poet (or the reader for that matter) to fully experience anything more than a thin attenuation of the Imagist tradition. Thankfully the Japanese don’t have any such qualms in the matter.

The verses collected in Modern Japanese Tanka illustrate the depth of passion for the tanka form in Japan throughout the 20th century. The selected writers were each published widely, in daily newspapers, magazines, dedicated journals, and personal anthologies. Many are the recipients of national awards. The most recent writer, Tawara Machi, has sold millions of copies of her book, ‘Salad Anniversary’, which has been translated into other languages, including English.

So whilst haiku and tanka may not be fashionable in the English-speaking world right now, it’s also fair to say that neither were sonnets before Shakespeare showed what they were capable of, before he adjusted their arrangement to better suit the English language. And if you are looking for an English-language introduction to tanka then I can’t recommend this volume highly enough. It carries a selection from 20 different tanka poets all translated by the editor Makoto Ueda, it has a 36-page introduction on the history of tanka’s evolution from the classical waka form, and a very useful bibliography of translated works and commentaries.

The book itself is nicely presented, with two tanka to a page, preventing that cluttered feel you can get from on-line haiku and tanka magazines, who bunch them in by tens and twelves. The final two writers in the collection were a real eye-opener for me, moving away from traditional seasonal themes and towards an accessible humanism more suited to city life. Five stars from me, well worth the money, and I have to leave you this one, from Tawara Machi:

gazing upwards
toward the falling rain
suddenly
I long to be kissed
in this very stance
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PP Prong
4.0 out of 5 stars The Rare & The Bare
Reviewed in the United Kingdom on December 27, 2019
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A unique compilation of work by some of Japan's most accomplished minimalist poets from the past one hundred years, with insightful biographical and historical context. A great little find for those interested in the form.
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