Izumi Shikibu Nikki, by Izumi Shikibu

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Poetry plays a vital role in the Heian period narrative prose, Izumi Shikibu Nikki, written by Izumi Shikibu. This is evident not only by the large number of poems written, but also through the context of the poems, which characterize and reveal the feelings and desires of the two main characters. The poems are very private exchanges between the Prince and the lady, who is believed to be Izumi Shikibu herself. Because they are so personal, readers may connect to the diary on a deeper level. Without poetry, this piece of literature would be incomplete and probably not nearly as valuable as it is considered to be today.

By simply glancing through the Izumi Shikibu Nikki, one may conclude that poetry plays an important role in the diary. There are about three poems, tanka, per page. In contrast,

Taketori Monogatari, which is written by an unknown author, and Kagerō Nikki by Fujiwara no Michitsuna’s mother have significantly less. This is definitely not to say that the poetry in these other works is insignificant, but only that by purely counting the number of poems before beginning to even read the diary, one may assume that poetry plays a key role in the Izumi Shikibu Nikki.

The poetry in this Heian period narrative prose acts like a window into the depths of the hearts of the Prince and the lady, whom will be referred to as Izumi for clarity. Referring to The Izumi Shikibu Diary: A Romance of the Heian Court translated by Edwin A. Cranston, the very first poem expresses Izumi’s uncertainty in communicating with the Prince, half-brother to her deceased lover: “Sooner would I hear your voice – / Is it the same as his?” (132). The poems reveal every emotion from longing – “This evening filled with longing / Intense beyo...

... middle of paper ...

...the readers and the characters, but in the case of this nikki, it is not so. Poetry is a wonderful literary art, and in this nikki, its greatness is proven.

Works Cited

"Shikibu, Izumi - Introduction." Classical and Medieval Literature Criticism. Ed. Jelena Krstović. Vol. 33. Gale Cengage, 1999. eNotes.com. 2006. 13 Feb, 2011 shikibu-izumi/introduction>. "Taketori monogatari." Modern Japanese Fiction and Its Traditions. Comp. Thomas Rimer. Trans. Donald Keene. New Jersey: Princeton University Press, 1978.

Mother of Michitsuna, "Kagerō Nikki." Anthropology of Japanese Literature. Comp and Ed. Donald Keene. New York: Grove Press, 1955. Print.

Shikibu, Izumi. The Izumi Shikibu Diary: A Romance of the Heian Court. Trans. Edwin A. Cranston. Massachusetts: Harvard University Press, 1969.

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