Japanese Lit

• Pilow Book - by Sei Shonagon, represents unique form of the diary genre
• The Shinto Legends - have been accepted as historical fact although in postuan times they were once again regarded as myths
• Ancient Matters (Kojiki)
• Chronicles of Japan (Wihongi)
• Poetry - one of the oldest and most popular means of expression and communication in the Japan Culture
• Manyoshu - Book of Ten Thousand Leaves

  Anthology by poets from social classes
• Different poems according to set forms/structures :

  Choka

  Tanka

  Renga

  Hokku

  Haiku
• Tanka - most prevelant verse

  Has 5 lines of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables with atleast one caesura/pause.
• Renga - chain of interlocking tanka

  Each tanka within it was divided into verses of 17 and 14 syllables composed by different poets
• Hokku - opening verse of a renga which developed into a distinct literary form known as the haiku
• Haiku - consists of 3 lines of 5-7-5 syllable

  Almost all of it includes kigo or seasonal words that indicate the time of year being described.
• Kigo - seasonal words
• Choka - poems that consists of alternate lines of 5 and 7 syllables with an extra 7 syllable line at the end. No limit to number of lines ang envoy consists of 5-7-5-7-7 syllables.