The First Modern Japanese: The Life of Ishikawa Takuboku

Keene (Shincho Professor Emeritus of Japanese Literature, Columbia Univ.; Dawn to the West) here introduces the life and work of an accomplished Japanese poet largely unknown in the West. This biography of Ishikawa Takuboku, containing both poetry and diary entries, reveals that from a young age he eschewed all other areas of study to cultivate his ambition to be a writer. He adopted the poetic name "woodpecker" and perfected his skill in the art of tanka, 31-syllable poems in five lines. Takuboku's poems are both highly regarded and easy to read, making them a perfect combination for a world seeking fresh meaning and form in literature. Tuberculosis claimed Takuboku's life in 1912 when he was just 26 years old and had but one published work, yet his posthumously released writings elevated his literary status in Japan. Other than Matoko Ueda's Modern Japanese Poets and the Nature of Literature, there is little analysis of Takuboku's output for an English-speaking audience.