An Introduction to Japanese Court Poetry

Earl Miner

Stanford University Press, 1968; Pages: xv,174

This book is the concise version of the standard study of Japanese court poetry by Miner and Brower published in 1961. Although it also extends the period covered to 1500 C.E., the book skirts over most issues addressed in the original study to provide an introduction, overview, and the author's take on the classical period of Japanese literature. There are over 150 poems in transliteration and translation, with some versions updated from the previously published ones. Usually, Miner (sometimes in collaboration with Bower) provides very skillful, if somewhat ornate, translations of the poems. His version is also generally in interpretative agreement with other excellent translators like Donald Keene, Helen Craig McCullough, or Arthur Waley. Still, there is something to be said for terseness.

The book has eight chapters, of which the first two give a glance at the values that have found their way in Japanese poetry, as well as the forms and conventions followed by generations of poets. Miner's emphasizes the fact that almost all of the poetry was written by courtiers and as such expresses their view of the world, concerns, and feelings. Especially after Ki no Tsurayuki's codification of "proper" poetry (both as form and subject matter) in his famous preface to the first imperial anthology Kokinshû, Japanese poets have given full reign to their participatory attitude toward nature, in which the world and man share a common existence. Lacking the appeal of belief in ideas common to the West, the Japanese poets concentrated on catching the fleeting sensation of a moment's experience. In this, they were hemmed in by the tendency toward ever shorter poetic forms, which eventually culminated in the haiku. On the other hand, the most attractive aspect of this poetry is the sad tinge that accompanies just about every tanka, doubtless through the influence of Buddhism. Thus, the celebration of nature (coming from Shintoism) mixes with the poignancy induced by the realization of how transient this world is. These themes are neatly summarized in the concluding chapter of the book.

The next five chapters cover one period each (except the first, which is entirely dedicated to Hitomaro, the most famous of the Man'yôshû poets.) Thus, just about every single major poet has found his or her place in this book. It is interesting to see how the social concerns of the early Yamanoe Okura (660-733) quickly give way to what has become the traditional courtly verse. Miner's classification of the period from 784 to 1100 C.E. as "the most original and perhaps the greatest in Japanese literature" is a sentiment generally shared by specialists, as well as this reviewer. As such, chapter 5 houses the Six Poetic Geniuses, of which one (Ono no Komachi) is a deserved favorite. Although some of Miner's interpretations leave something to be desired (e.g. Komachi's KKS:656, or Tomonori's poem on p. 92, and even Fujiwara Teika's SKKS:38 on p. 114), the treatment is generally reliable and most certainly a labor of love.

In retrospect, Miner's book is a gentle and consistent introduction to one of the best literary traditions of this world. One need not accept the flowery language of the translations at face value but the author's desire to interpret for the reader is commendable if only because the originals are often so brief as to be enigmatic. Of course, the desire for transparency also means forcing his particular interpretation, and so the availability of alternative translations is very welcome. The book, along perhaps with Donald Keene's The Pleasures of Japanese Literature, provides an excellent look at the feelings and worldviews that have moved the poets. Of course, Miner's extensive use of poetry gives a more immediate contact with this fascinating literature. The book is great for those who do not wish to plow through the formidable earlier study.

November 11, 2001.

@book{miner-68:intro,
    title     = {An Introduction to Japanese Court Poetry},
    author    = {Earl Miner},
    year      = 1968,
    address   = {Stanford},
    publisher = {Stanford University Press},
    isbn      = {0-8047-0636-0 (pbk.)},
    note      = {Glossary, index; Pp. xv, 174}
}