Lady Poets of Japan

Chobunsai Eishi (1756-1829) depicting Shunzei no Musume

This poet,
from a family of famous poets,
may have been the author
of Japan's first book
of literary criticism (12th C.)














Okumura Masanobu (1686-1764) depicting Murasaki Shikubu






My favorite writer!
I had never imagined her
quite that full bodied











Torii Kiyonaga (1752-1815) depicting Murasaki Shikubu







Yes, I imagine her more like this








Katsushika Hokusai (1760-1849) depicting Ono no Komachi

This early Heian poet
is famous
for the poetry of courtly romance.
She is legendary as a great beauty
who, unfortunately,
lived long enough to lose it
and then regret her wayward youth.

In this exhibit,
she is depicted more often
than anyone else,
and usually these images
show people standing in the rain
which was summoned
by one of her poems.

(here's a version from Boston)

















Kobayashi Kiyochika (1847-1915) depicting Sei Shonagon









and this is exactly
how I would imagine
this worldly lady


with a sharp eye,
and a sharper tongue.











Chobunsai Eishi (1756-1829) depicting Ukon







Utagawa Toyokuni


To remind us
of how different
lady poets are from courtesans
here is an image
that combines both ideas




Chobunsai Eishi


note:
several of these poets
have been translated
here
by my favorite beatnik