Supernatural Longing in Yamakawa Tomiko's Tanka
Yamakawa Tomiko (1879-1909) was one of the 'leading ladies' of the Myōjō (Venus) circle of poets. In her decade of poetic productivity before her premature death from tuberculosis at age 29, Tomiko was known as the melancholy friend and rival of the more famous Yosano Akiko (1878-1942). No...
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Published in | Japanese studies Vol. 39; no. 1; pp. 43 - 56 |
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Main Author | |
Format | Journal Article |
Language | English |
Published |
Melbourne
Routledge
02.01.2019
Taylor & Francis Ltd |
Subjects | |
Online Access | Get full text |
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Summary: | Yamakawa Tomiko (1879-1909) was one of the 'leading ladies' of the Myōjō (Venus) circle of poets. In her decade of poetic productivity before her premature death from tuberculosis at age 29, Tomiko was known as the melancholy friend and rival of the more famous Yosano Akiko (1878-1942). Not only did the two vie for the romantic affections of the Myōjō leader, Yosano Tekkan (1873-1935), but they also collaborated on one of the great tanka collections of the era, Koigoromo (Robe of Love, 1905), and frequently employed supernatural symbolism in ways that were both traditional and strikingly modern. In this study, I draw Tomiko's poetry out from under Akiko's shadow. By examining the era's gender politics and poetic practices alongside Tomiko's Christian education and personal anguish, I show how she exquisitely compressed complex worlds of longing, guilt, and defiance into the 31-syllable tanka form. |
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ISSN: | 1037-1397 1469-9338 |
DOI: | 10.1080/10371397.2019.1588690 |