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Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death
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Manufacturer: Tuttle Publishing
Author: Yoel Hoffmann
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
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Our Price: $11.53
You Save: $ 5.42 ( 32% )
Usually ships in 24 hours
Manufacturer: Tuttle Publishing
Author: Yoel Hoffmann
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Average Customer Rating:
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Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death Description
Binding: Paperback
Dewey Decimal Number: 808
EAN: 9780804831796
ISBN: 0804831793
Label: Tuttle Publishing
Manufacturer: Tuttle Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 368
Publication Date: 1998-04-15
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Studio: Tuttle Publishing
Dewey Decimal Number: 808
EAN: 9780804831796
ISBN: 0804831793
Label: Tuttle Publishing
Manufacturer: Tuttle Publishing
Number Of Items: 1
Book Pages: 368
Publication Date: 1998-04-15
Publisher: Tuttle Publishing
Studio: Tuttle Publishing
Editorial Review of Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death
Although the consciousness of death is in most cultures very much a part of life, this is perhaps nowhere more true than in Japan, where the approach of death has given rise to a centuries-old tradition of writing jisei, or the "death poem" written in the very last moments of the poet's life. From passionate samurai writins and meditative Zen haiku to the satirical poems of later centuries, Hundreds of jisei have been translated into English here, many for the first time. The result is a moving, powerful collection whose philosophical and aethetic profundity will give readers pause.
Customer Reviews of Japanese Death Poems: Written by Zen Monks and Haiku Poets on the Verge of Death
Customer Rating: 
Review Summary: Famous last words
Review: The jisei, known in English as a Death Poem, was an ancient custom in Japan, where literate people supposedly extemporaneously composed a poem in the few seconds before their deaths, revealing their last thoughts and incites in that profound moment. Sometimes bitter, sometimes funny, sometimes profound and sometimes simply serving as a final will or testimony, they were almost a requirement for people of note. Of course, in reality the poems were usually composed well in advance of death, and only written from memory when the time came, they are still a unique and interesting expression of mortality.
"Japanese Death Poems" presents a massive collection of jisei, from people famous and infamous, from monks to authors to samurai to merchants and all walks of life. Most of the poems are accompanied by a short biography of the author, and sometimes with an interpretation of the poem. Most of them take the haiku format, although some are in the longer waka form. The selections are organized alphabetically by the author's name.
An excellent and rare collection, this book is probably best browsed rather than read straight through. There are so many poems that it gets a bit redundant reading them all in a row, and it is better experienced just opening to a page and random, and enjoying the specific poems. Because of this, "Japanese Death Poems" is a book that can often be revisited. I have found many poems that I have read several times, and find a deeper meaning each time.
It is a huge flaw that the book is not bilingual, and only includes the romanized version of the Japanese script. Due to the nature of the Japanese language, with kanji carrying inherent meaning, it is difficult to interpret the author's true intent without it. One is forced to rely on the English translations, or to hunt down the original poem in order to see what kanji was used. This is especially true of Japanese poetry, as the authors could get very creative with the kanji, creating their own words and combinations in order to add meaning to the limited characters allowed by the haiku format.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: I keep this one in arms reach
Review: This is a great book for those who like poetry and are becoming interested in Zen Buddhism. The book opens with plenty of background material that is broad enough in scope for an introduction but still deep enough to properly motivate the topic. The zen monks section is seperate from the haiku poets, I seemed to enjoy the haiku poets poems much more. I found this to be a very nice angle to read into the complexities of Japanese culture, Buddhism, and human nature's view of the ultimate reality. I find this to have a great mixture of academic and leasure reading at least for my (a scientist's) taste.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Odd and enchanting
Review: An odd little book - kind of a Zen Goth collection - that ultimately makes me want to live better and more thoughtfully. Along with the poems are reflections and explanations and some history of the author. This isn't a book that I would read straight through but something to have nearby for frequent foraging. There are pages of great stuff here that will provoke new thoughts and insights.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: we slip the inkstone this last time
Review: This is a curious, moving, particular, and well-chosen selection of poems in translation. Many capture arresting imagery and contain a compression of significance not found in the western tradition of longer narrative. While this is a collection of differing authors and voices and perspectives, none fails to be very human and to say something for which we can identify. Situational poetry, and this distinctive selection from those on the point of death, is a difficult field, and this edition brings welcome engagement with both eastern modes of poetic imagination and this elusive art form.
The introduction alone is worth the volume, but afterwards the poetry draws you in. This is a volume to return to.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Could have been better
Review: I think that this book had the potential to be better than it is. Many of the poems are amazing. Of particular interest were the poems of the Zen masters. Their death poems show a lifelong dedication to searching for enlightenment and the final fruition of a philosophy where the difference between life and death is meaningless. The summaries of the lives and deaths of many of the poets provide an interesting illustration of the culture of the Japanese poets. However, I was less impressed by the work of the so called "haiku poets" many of these men were not masters of their craft and it is obvious in their death poems. Also the introduction is full of interesting information, but is quite dry considering the unusual subject matter of the book would seem to offer endless possibilities for an interesting commentary.
Review Summary: Famous last words
Review: The jisei, known in English as a Death Poem, was an ancient custom in Japan, where literate people supposedly extemporaneously composed a poem in the few seconds before their deaths, revealing their last thoughts and incites in that profound moment. Sometimes bitter, sometimes funny, sometimes profound and sometimes simply serving as a final will or testimony, they were almost a requirement for people of note. Of course, in reality the poems were usually composed well in advance of death, and only written from memory when the time came, they are still a unique and interesting expression of mortality.
"Japanese Death Poems" presents a massive collection of jisei, from people famous and infamous, from monks to authors to samurai to merchants and all walks of life. Most of the poems are accompanied by a short biography of the author, and sometimes with an interpretation of the poem. Most of them take the haiku format, although some are in the longer waka form. The selections are organized alphabetically by the author's name.
An excellent and rare collection, this book is probably best browsed rather than read straight through. There are so many poems that it gets a bit redundant reading them all in a row, and it is better experienced just opening to a page and random, and enjoying the specific poems. Because of this, "Japanese Death Poems" is a book that can often be revisited. I have found many poems that I have read several times, and find a deeper meaning each time.
It is a huge flaw that the book is not bilingual, and only includes the romanized version of the Japanese script. Due to the nature of the Japanese language, with kanji carrying inherent meaning, it is difficult to interpret the author's true intent without it. One is forced to rely on the English translations, or to hunt down the original poem in order to see what kanji was used. This is especially true of Japanese poetry, as the authors could get very creative with the kanji, creating their own words and combinations in order to add meaning to the limited characters allowed by the haiku format.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: I keep this one in arms reach
Review: This is a great book for those who like poetry and are becoming interested in Zen Buddhism. The book opens with plenty of background material that is broad enough in scope for an introduction but still deep enough to properly motivate the topic. The zen monks section is seperate from the haiku poets, I seemed to enjoy the haiku poets poems much more. I found this to be a very nice angle to read into the complexities of Japanese culture, Buddhism, and human nature's view of the ultimate reality. I find this to have a great mixture of academic and leasure reading at least for my (a scientist's) taste.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Odd and enchanting
Review: An odd little book - kind of a Zen Goth collection - that ultimately makes me want to live better and more thoughtfully. Along with the poems are reflections and explanations and some history of the author. This isn't a book that I would read straight through but something to have nearby for frequent foraging. There are pages of great stuff here that will provoke new thoughts and insights.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: we slip the inkstone this last time
Review: This is a curious, moving, particular, and well-chosen selection of poems in translation. Many capture arresting imagery and contain a compression of significance not found in the western tradition of longer narrative. While this is a collection of differing authors and voices and perspectives, none fails to be very human and to say something for which we can identify. Situational poetry, and this distinctive selection from those on the point of death, is a difficult field, and this edition brings welcome engagement with both eastern modes of poetic imagination and this elusive art form.
The introduction alone is worth the volume, but afterwards the poetry draws you in. This is a volume to return to.
Customer Rating:
Review Summary: Could have been better
Review: I think that this book had the potential to be better than it is. Many of the poems are amazing. Of particular interest were the poems of the Zen masters. Their death poems show a lifelong dedication to searching for enlightenment and the final fruition of a philosophy where the difference between life and death is meaningless. The summaries of the lives and deaths of many of the poets provide an interesting illustration of the culture of the Japanese poets. However, I was less impressed by the work of the so called "haiku poets" many of these men were not masters of their craft and it is obvious in their death poems. Also the introduction is full of interesting information, but is quite dry considering the unusual subject matter of the book would seem to offer endless possibilities for an interesting commentary.