Preview

Prime logo Prime members: New to Audible?
Get 2 free audiobooks during trial.
Pick 1 audiobook a month from our unmatched collection.
Listen all you want to thousands of included audiobooks, Originals, and podcasts.
Access exclusive sales and deals.
Premium Plus auto-renews for $14.95/mo after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Classical Poetry of Japan

By: Basil Hall Chamberlain
Narrated by: Sarah Bacaller, Denis Daly
Try for $0.00

$14.95/month after 30 days. Cancel anytime.

Buy for $11.26

Buy for $11.26

Pay using card ending in
By confirming your purchase, you agree to Audible's Conditions of Use and Amazon's Privacy Notice. Taxes where applicable.

Publisher's summary

This collection of Japanese poetry was compiled and translated into English from an anthology known as The Collection of Myriad Leaves, and from a number of other anthologies made by imperial decree between the tenth and fifteenth centuries. This period has come to be considered the golden age of Japanese literature.

In those days, the cultivation of verse was especially considered the privilege of the princely and aristocratic. A poem written by a man of obscure rank was sometimes included in the royal collections, but the name of the author was omitted as a matter of course. The distinctive qualities of classic Japanese poetry are undoubtedly due to the air in which it flourished. The verse is never religious, and sometimes is even immoral, but it is always suffused with a certain hue of courtliness, even gentleness. The language is of the most refined delicacy; the thought is never boorish or rude. There is a sense of self-collectedness also found in the poetry of France and Italy during the Renaissance, and of England during the reign of Queen Anne.

These examples of Japanese poetry exhibit the most exquisite polish, allied with an avoidance of every shocking or perturbing theme; they combine the enduring luster of a precious metal with the tenuity of gold-leaf. The more vivid emotions of grief and love, as well as the horrors of war, are either avoided or referred to by elegant periphrasis. These ancient anthologies have often been drawn upon as inspiration for poets of more recent times.

Originally published in 1880.

Public Domain (P)2022 Voices of Today
activate_Holiday_promo_in_buybox_DT_T2

What listeners say about Classical Poetry of Japan

Average customer ratings
Overall
  • 4.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    1
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Performance
  • 3.5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    0
  • 4 Stars
    1
  • 3 Stars
    1
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0
Story
  • 5 out of 5 stars
  • 5 Stars
    2
  • 4 Stars
    0
  • 3 Stars
    0
  • 2 Stars
    0
  • 1 Stars
    0

Reviews - Please select the tabs below to change the source of reviews.

Sort by:
Filter by:
  • Overall
    4 out of 5 stars
  • Performance
    3 out of 5 stars
  • Story
    5 out of 5 stars

It’s worth a listen

These are interesting poems from the history of Japan, they were well written, assembled, and translated. The only thing I disliked was the unclearness of the mans voice- either he does not have good diction or the sound engineer fell asleep (or both). The woman’s voice was clear and intelligible. Both performances were expressive and captured the flowing style of each piece.

Something went wrong. Please try again in a few minutes.

You voted on this review!

You reported this review!